Sony VGN-A manual

N User Guide V GN-A series / PCG-K series[...]

2 nN Contents Read this first .................... ............ ............. .................... ............. ................... ............. .. ........... ............. ............. ............. ........... 5 Notice ............. ............. ................... ............. ................... ............. ................... .........[...]

3 nN Using P C Cards ................ ............. ............. ................... ............. ................... ............. .................... ............. ................... ... 63 Using th e Memory St ick .... ................... ............. .................... ............. ................... ............. .... ......... ......[...]

4 nN Upgrading your VA IO computer ................. ............. .................... ............. ................... ............. .... ............... ............. .............. 1 65 Adding a nd removin g memory* .................. ............. ................... ............. ................... ............. ..... ............... ......[...]

5 nN Read this fir st Read this first Notice © 2005 Son y Cor poration . All right s reser ved. This ma nual and t he soft ware descr ibed her ein, in wh ole or i n part, ma y not be r eproduc ed, transla ted, or reduce d to any machine-r eadable fo rm without pr ior writte n approv al. Sony Cor poration provides no warra nty with reg ard to thi s[...]

6 nN Read this fir st E NERGY S TAR As an E NERGY S TAR Partner, So ny has de termined that this product meets the E NERG Y S TAR guidelines for ene rgy effi ciency . The Inter national E NERGY S TA R Off ice Equipme nt Progr am is an inter natio nal program that promo tes ene rgy savin g through t he use of compute rs and th eir office equipm ent.[...]

7 nN We l c o m e We l c o m e Congratul ations o n purch asing a Sony V AIO comp uter. So ny ha s comb ined lea ding-edg e tec hnology in au dio, video , com puting an d commu nication s to provid e you with state -of-the-ar t personal computin g. Here are the main fe atures y ou can en joy: ❑ Exceptional perf ormance . ❑ P ortabi lity – The[...]

8 nN We l c o m e Documentation pack Your doc umentatio n pack contain s printe d informati on and u ser guides to read on your V AIO co mputer. Guides are provi ded in PDF format, which yo u can eas ily br owse thro ugh and pr int out. The My Info Centre por tal is a perfec t startin g point to using your VAIO c omputer - a compreh ensive coll ect[...]

9 nN We l c o m e Printed documentation ❑ A Specifications she et, con taining a ta ble of spec ificatio ns, a list of bundled software, an over view of all con nectors an d, on the rev erse side, a gui de to sett ing up your V AIO compu ter . ❑ T r oubleshooting Guide , where you will fi nd soluti ons to co mmon p roblems. ❑ Recovery Guide ,[...]

10 nN We l c o m e In My Info Centre you c an also find: Fur the r so urc es 1 Go to St art > Help and Suppor t for V AIO suppo r t infor mation as well as tip s and tricks. 2 Consult the Online Help fil es of the software you are u sing for detailed i nf or matio n on features and t roubleshooting. 3 Go to www .club-vaio .com to fin d onli ne t[...]

11 nN We l c o m e Ergonomic considerations You will be using your co mputer as a por table dev ice in a varie ty of en vironm ents. Whe never po ssible , you s hould attempt to t ak e account o f the fol lowing er gonomic consid erations to both s tationary a nd por table env ironmen ts: ❑ P osition of y our computer – Place the comput er dire[...]

12 nN We l c o m e ❑ Lighting – Choose a location where win dows and lights do not crea te glare and re flectio n on the display . Use in direct li ghting to av oid br ight spots on the di splay . Y ou can a lso pur chase acc essor ies for your disp lay that help reduce glare. Pro per lig hting a dds to your comfor t an d work eff ectiveness. ?[...]

13 nN Using y our V AIO computer Usin g y o ur V AI O comput er Once y ou have r ead and follow ed the inf ormation in th e printe d Specificati ons sheet, y ou can start using y our co mputer s afely an d confid ently . Read on to ge t the mo st out of using you r VAIO co mputer . ❑ Connecting a pow er source (page 14 ) ❑ Setting the pass w or[...]

14 nN Using y our V AIO computer Connecting a power source You can u se eit her an AC adapter o r a rechar geable b attery pa ck as a power so urce. Using the A C adapter To use the A C adapte r, proceed as follow s: 1 Plug on e end o f the power cord (1) into th e AC adapter . 2 Plug th e other en d of the pow er cor d into an AC outlet (2). 3 Plu[...]

15 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the batter y pac k The batter y pack suppli ed with yo ur compu ter is n ot fully char ged at the ti me of p urchase.[...]

16 nN Using y our V AIO computer Insta lling t he battery pac k VGN-A series To insta ll the bat tery pack , proceed as follo ws: 1 T urn off your comp uter and cl ose the LCD . 2 Slide the lock le ver (1) on the bottom of the comp uter to th e UNLOCK position. 3 Slide the relea se lev er (2) on the botto m of the co mputer to the RELEASE positi on[...]

17 nN Using y our V AIO computer 6 T urn ov er the batter y pack attac hed to the b atter y co mpar tment cov e r . 7 Inser t the tab on the batter y c ompar tment cov er i nto the no tch, and push the batter y p ack down into th e compar tment unti l it cl icks into pla ce. 8 Slide the lock le ver to the LOCK positio n to se cure the batter y pa c[...]

18 nN Using y our V AIO computer Chargi ng the b attery pack To charge the batt ery pack, proceed as follows: 1 Install the batter y pack. 2 Connect the AC adapter to th e computer. The c omputer a utomatica lly ch arges the batter y (the batt er y in dicator flashes in a double b lin k patte r n as the ba tter y cha rges) . Battery indicator statu[...]

19 nN Using y our V AIO computer ✍ When the batte r y is runn ing ou t of powe r , bot h the batter y and p ower in dica tors bl ink. Keep the ba tter y pack in stalled in the compu ter while i t is directl y connect ed to AC power . The batter y pac k contin ues to charg e while you are using t he comput er . If the battery level falls below 1 0[...]

20 nN Using y our V AIO computer Remo vin g the bat ter y pac k VGN-A series To remove the batt ery pac k, proceed as follo ws: 1 T urn off your comp uter and cl ose the LCD . 2 Slide the lock le ver (1) on the bottom of the comp uter to th e UNLOCK position. 3 Slide the relea se lev er (2) on the botto m of the co mputer to the RELEASE positi on. [...]

21 nN Using y our V AIO computer PCG-K se ries To remove the batt ery pac k, proceed as follo ws: 1 T urn off your comp uter and cl ose the LCD . 2 Open th e cov er of th e batter y b a y . 3 Pull out th e batter y pack. 4 Close th e cov er of the b atter y ba y . ✍ Y ou may lose data if you remove the b atter y pack whil e the comput er is on an[...]

22 nN Using y our V AIO computer Setting the pass word Use one of t he BIO S functions to set the pass word. Once you have set the pa ssword, y ou will have to en ter the pass word after the VAIO lo go appears. In thi s way, you can protec t y our comput er from una uthorize d acces s. ! Y ou cannot start you r computer wi thout entering the passwo[...]

23 nN Using y our V AIO computer 6 Select P ass w or d when P o wer ON under Secu rity . Press Enter , us e M or m to select Enabled , and t hen press Enter . 7 Use < or , to sele ct Exit and then Exit (S ave Chan ges) ; and pr ess Enter . On the Sav e configuration changes and ex it setup? sc reen, confirm tha t OK is sel ected a nd then pr ess[...]

24 nN Using y our V AIO computer Changing/remo ving the pass word VG N - A s e r i e s To change o r remov e the pass word, proc eed as fo llows: 1 T ur n on your comp uter . 2 Press F2 when the V AIO logo appears. The BI OS setu p screen ap pears. If not, press F2 several times. 3 Enter t he current passw ord for Enter CURRENT Pass wor d : 4 Use &[...]

25 nN Using y our V AIO computer PCG-K ser ie s To change o r remov e the pass word, proc eed as fo llows: 1 T ur n on your comp uter . 2 Press F2 when the V AIO logo appears. The BI OS setu p screen ap pears. 3 Enter t he current passw ord for Enter Password : 4 Use < or , to sele ct Secu rity to displ a y anoth er screen , select Set Machin e [...]

26 nN Using y our V AIO computer Setting up your computer with V AIO Control Ce nter The VAIO Control Center utility allows you to consult system infor mation and spec ify pre ferences fo r syst em beha viour. To use VAI O Control Ce nter, proce ed as follows : 1 Click the St art b utton on the Windows taskbar . 2 In All Programs , c lic k V AIO Co[...]

27 nN Using y our V AIO computer 3 Selec t the desi red cont rol item . 4 Once f inished , click OK . The it em has bee n cha nged. ✍ For more info rmation ab out e ach opt ion, cl ick He lp on th e V AIO Cont rol Cent er wi ndow to di spla y the he lp file . Some of the control items wil l not be visi ble If you op en V AIO Contr ol Cent er as a[...]

28 nN Using y our V AIO computer Shutting down y our computer saf ely It is impo rtant that you shut down your computer properl y so you do not los e unsaved data. To shut d own your computer , proce ed as foll ows: 1 T ur n off any per iphe rals connec ted to your co mputer . 2 Click the St art button. 3 Click T urn Off Compute r . The T urn off c[...]

29 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the k eyboard Your ke yboard i s very simil ar to a de sktop co mputer 's, but has addi tional ke ys that p erform m odel- specifi c tasks. For more infor mation on the standar d keys, see Windo ws Help and Support Center . The VA IO-Lin k websit e ( www.vaio-l ink.com ) also con tains glos sary i nformat[...]

30 nN Using y our V AIO computer Indicat ors Indicator F unctions Po w e r 1 Po w er on : li ghts green. Standb y mod e : flashes umber . Batt ery e Indicates the status of the ba ttery . Wireless LAN T ur ns on when the Wireless LAN is activated. T ur ns off when t he Wireless LAN is not activated. Bluetooth (V GN-A series only) T ur ns on when th[...]

31 nN Using y our V AIO computer T r oubl eshooting the k eyboa rd A ke y top h as fallen off ❑ If any of the following keys f alls off , replac e the key top as sh own below . V GN-A series : Caps L ock, Shift, Ba ckspace, Enter , or spac e bar PCG-K series : Enter, Caps Lock, Ctrl, T ab, space ba r , left Sh ift If any other ke y top falls off,[...]

32 nN Using y our V AIO computer ❑ Enter k ey[...]

33 nN Using y our V AIO computer ❑ Space b ar ke y[...]

34 nN Using y our V AIO computer PCG-K series ❑ Ca p s L ock key , C tr l key , T a b key ❑ Enter k ey[...]

35 nN Using y our V AIO computer ❑ Space b ar ke y , l eft Shift key ❑ If any key top other th an the above ke ys falls off, see the figur e below to p lace it b ack into positio n. To rep lace a key top Hook the catches (1) on the key top onto the scree n side corners of the key top sup port (2), p lace the key t op back into po siti on, and t[...]

36 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the touchpad The keyboa rd conta ins a cu rsor-poi nting dev ice, yo ur tou chpad (1 ). You can point to , select , drag, and scrol l object s on th e sc reen using the built-i n touchpad . Action Des cription P oint Slide one f inger on the touchpad to plac e the pointer (2) on an item or object. Click Press [...]

37 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the TV function (V GN-A ser ies) Your VA IO compu ter is e quipped wi th a TV tune r board. The A/V port repli cator d elivere d with a c ertain mo del* featu res a TV tun er board. In c ombinati on with So ny's VAIO Zone soft ware, it allo ws you to : ❑ W atch, rec ord and play back anal ogue bro adcas[...]

38 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the mouse (V GN-A ser ies) Your VA IO comp uter is del ivered with a wir eless optical mouse, whi ch has n o cables to plug in and uses a lig ht-emitti ng diode ( LED ) instead o f a bal l. You ca n use the mouse an ywher e you fee l comfor table with in a ran ge of ap prox. 80 c m* of th e main un it. Av oid [...]

39 nN Using y our V AIO computer You can adjust the mou se pointer speed and othe r functions under Mouse Properties . To display Mouse Properties , go to the Control Panel , select Print ers and O ther H ardwar e , then se lect Mouse . 1 Left button Click or double- click the left button to s elect i tems. To drag an d drop items , hold th e left [...]

40 nN Using y our V AIO computer Bef ore you use the mouse Before at temptin g to use th e wirele ss mous e, you mus t enable commu nication between the compu ter and the mous e. Two AA batt eries, s pecific for use in the wirele ss mouse , are suppl ied wit h your co mputer . They are i dentified b y a stick er "Fo r mouse" on the p acka[...]

41 nN Using y our V AIO computer 4 T ur n the w ire less mo use o v er , sli de th e po wer s witch t o the ON position, and pres s the CONNECT b utt on. Communica tion be tween the wir eless m ouse and th e com puter is now act ive. ✍ Step 3 a nd 4 must be c arried out within 10 seco nds of each ot her . If you r wireless mouse does not operate [...]

42 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using special b uttons (V GN-A ser ies) Your VA IO compu ter is pro vided wi th special buttons to help you use the computer. ❑ Mute b utton : Turns o n and of f the speak er volume . The LE D turns on whe n the vol ume is tur ned off. ❑ Vo l u m e buttons ( V olume up and V olume down ) : Increa se and decrea s[...]

43 nN Using y our V AIO computer ❑ Magnify button (Zoo m) : Changes the im age reso lution in all a pplications , excep t in those that use th e DVD pl ayer. The de fault resol utions of the standa rd view and the magnified view depe nd on th e model as listed below. F or the type o f LCD screen e quipped wi th your comput er, see LC D screen in [...]

44 nN Using y our V AIO computer ❑ S1 b utton : The S1 button, by default, l aunch es VAIO Zo ne . You also c an link another action that you ex ecute oft en to thi s shortcu t button . See Setting up your computer with VAIO Control Center (page 26) . T ro ublesho oting special b uttons (V GN-A series) Pressing the Magnify button do es not c hang[...]

45 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the optical disc dr iv e Your VA IO compu ter is equi pped with a n opti cal disc d rive. To inse rt a dis c, proceed as follo ws: 1 T ur n on the c omputer . 2 Press th e eject butt on (1) to op en the d rive. The tray slides out. 3 Place a disc in t he middle of the tray with the l abel sid e f acing up unti[...]

46 nN Using y our V AIO computer Reading and writing CDs and D VDs To achiev e optim um performa nce wh en writin g data o n to disc (also ca lled "bu rning") , follow t hese rec ommendat ions: ❑ T o make the data on a dis c readable on an optical d isc dr ive , you need to close the sess ion when you ej ect it. T o com plete thi s proc[...]

47 nN Using y our V AIO computer Pla ying D VDs To achiev e optimum performa nce when p laying D VDs, you sh ould fo llow thes e recommen dations. ❑ Y ou c an play D VDs us ing the opti cal dis c dr ive and the V AIO Zone software. See the hel p file on the V AIO Zone software f or deta ils . ❑ Close a ll open ap plications before pla ying a D [...]

48 nN Using y our V AIO computer T r oub leshooting the optical disc drive I cannot s witch from LCD displa y to TV an d vice v ersa (PCG-K series) If a DVD d isc is in serted i n the o ptical di sc dri ve, remo ve the di sc. My opti cal dis c dr ive tra y does n ot open ❑ Make sure the c omput er is tur ned o n and p ress the di sc ejec t button[...]

49 nN Using y our V AIO computer I cann ot p la y a D VD ❑ If a reg ion code warnin g appea rs when you are using your D VD play er , i t could b e that th e D VD you are tr y ing to play is incomp atible with the o ptical d isc dr ive on your compu ter . The regio n code is listed on the packaging of the di sc. ❑ Change th e resol ution under [...]

50 nN Using y our V AIO computer I canno t pla y a D VD when us ing tw o screens ❑ On PCG -K ser ies, the following err ors will occur w hen you use two sc reens at the same time (LC D and T V / LCD and CR T): ❑ When you pla y a D VD with Windows Medi a Player 10 or V AIO Zone , you can only watch the c ontent on the primar y disp lay . ❑ Y o[...]

51 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the A/V por t replicator (V GN-A ser ies) Your VA IO compu ter come s with an A/V po rt repl icator. A ttaching the A/ V por t replicato r* enabl es yo u to conne ct add itional peripher als to y our com puter, s uch as a printer and an ex ternal di splay. * Depending on y our model. See the printed Specificat[...]

52 nN Using y our V AIO computer ✍ The A/V port repli cator can be powered only wit h the AC adapter su pplied with you r comput er . Do not remove t he AC ada pter fro m the A/ V port replic ator o r the AC outl et when us ing the A/ V port re plicator ; this may ca use dat a damage or hardwar e malfun ctions . When vid eo cables are connected t[...]

53 nN Using y our V AIO computer Attaching y our computer to t he A/V por t replicator To attach your comp uter t o the A/V p ort repl icator, pr oceed as follows : 1 Disconnec t all per ipherals f rom the c omputer . 2 Plug th e power cord (1) in to the AC adapter a nd an AC outlet. 3 Plug th e cable attached to the AC adapter (2 ) into th e DC In[...]

54 nN Using y our V AIO computer 5 Align the bottom c onnector of the co mputer wi th the conn ector on the A/ V por t r eplicator and push down until it c licks into pla ce. 6 Slide the lock le ver to LOCK .[...]

55 nN Using y our V AIO computer 7 T ur n on the c omputer . ✍ When atta ching your computer to the A/V port repl icator , do not attempt to insert or remove the battery pa ck. Lifti ng and turni ng the comp uter with th e attached A/V p ort repl icator may caus e a tempo rary l oss of pow er . Use the AC adap ter that com es with your computer o[...]

56 nN Using y our V AIO computer Disconnecting y our computer from th e A/V por t replicator ! Make sure to turn off your com puter bef ore discon necting it from the port repl icator to p revent los s of unsaved data. To discon nect your compute r from the A /V port r eplicator , proce ed as foll ows: 1 Stop the conne cted pe rip herals. 2 Slide t[...]

57 nN Using y our V AIO computer 4 Close th e A/V por t repl icator con nector c ov er on the b ottom of your computer . ✍ It is extrem ely impo rtant to close t he A/V port replicator c onnector cov er after discon necting yo ur computer f rom the A/ V port replicator . If the cover i s left op en, dust may get inside an d damag e the compu ter [...]

58 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the e xter nal speak ers (V GN-A ser ies) Your VA IO compu ter come s with a pair o f externa l speaker s* in or der to ma ke great use of the VAIO Zone software. * Depending on y our model. See the printed Specifications sheet for more information. 1 V olume control The right speaker is equipped with t he v o[...]

59 nN Using y our V AIO computer Connecting t he supplied e x ter nal speak ers to the audio por t replicat or Connect the supplie d exte rnal spe akers to th e audi o* or A/V * port repl icator attached t o your c ompute r. ! T o use the supplied remote comm ander to cont rol the volum e, make sure to con nect the USB cable from the left speaker t[...]

60 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the remote commander (V GN -A series) Your VA IO compu ter come s with a remote comma nder* in order to ma ke gr eat use o f the VAIO Zo ne software. ✍ The infrare d sensor for the rem ote comman der is locat ed on the lef t external speaker . Make sure to at tach your comp uter to the supplied A /V por t re[...]

61 nN Using y our V AIO computer[...]

62 nN Using y our V AIO computer * Depending on y our model. See the printed Specifications sheet for more information. ** With the rem ote commander , you can increase the volume only up to the level set by the v olume control o n the external speake r. 1 MUTING button T ur ns off the external sp eakers. Press the MUTING but ton to turn on the spe[...]

63 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using PC Cards Your VA IO compu ter is equi pped with a PC Card s lot. PC Ca rds all ow you to c onnect p ortable e xternal dev ices. You do not need to shut do wn your com puter bef ore ins erting or removing a PC Ca rd. Inser t ing a P C Car d To inse rt a PC Car d, proc eed as fol lows: 1 Inser t the P C Card int[...]

64 nN Using y our V AIO computer ✍ Some dev ices may not fu nction pro perly if you repe at returni ng to Normal mod e from Sta ndby mode or Hibernate mode. The comp uter will retu rn to its orig inal st ate if you restart it. Make sure you use the most rece nt softw are driver provided by the PC Card man ufacturer . If an "!" ma rk app[...]

65 nN Using y our V AIO computer Removing a PC Card Follow th e steps b elow to r emove the PC Car d while y our comp uter is on. If it is n ot remov ed properly , your system may not work properly. If you want to remov e a PC C ard when y our comput er is of f, skip step s 1 to 7. To remove a PC Car d, proceed as follo ws: 1 Double-click the Safel[...]

66 nN Using y our V AIO computer ✍ If you re move the PC C ard from the computer when it is still turned on, you r system mig ht crash and you might lo se data that yo u did not sa ve befo re. Before you remove the PC Ca rd, clic k the PC C ard icon on the tas kbar and close t he card. Cl ose any ap plic ations that use the PC Card before removi [...]

67 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the Memor y Stick Your VA IO compu ter is d esigned to suppor t the Memor y Stic k. The M emory S tick is a compa ct, porta ble, an d versatil e devic e especia lly design ed for ex changing and shar ing digi tal data wi th compat ible pro ducts, suc h as digi tal came ras and mobile ph ones . Because it is r [...]

68 nN Using y our V AIO computer Inser ting a Memor y Stic k There are two ways you can i nsert a Mem ory Stick in your c omputer: ❑ Using th e Memo r y Stick slot; ❑ Using a PC Card slo t. T o do this, you nee d an option al PC Card adapt er . You can o nly ins ert on e Memory S tick at a time. To i nsert a Memor y Sti ck usin g the M emory S [...]

69 nN Using y our V AIO computer ✍ The loca tion of the Me mor y Stick slot depends o n the model of your comp uter . See the Specific ations sheet for detai ls on y our mode l. ! Hold t he Memor y S tick wit h the arrow poin ting in the c orrect direct ion wh en you i nsert it into the slot. T o a void da maging the com puter or the Mem ory Stic[...]

70 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the modem Your VA IO compu ter is equi pped with a n inte rnal mod em. You need to conne ct to a pho ne line to take adv antage of online services and the In ternet , as well as to register your com puter and software o nline, an d to co ntact VAI O-Link. To conne ct a phone line, proceed as follows : 1 Plug o[...]

71 nN Using y our V AIO computer T roub leshootin g the modem My mo dem does no t wo rk or cannot es tabl ish a con nection ❑ Check that the phone lin e is plu gged i nto your computer. ❑ Make sure that the mod em is the only device c onnect ed to your phon e line. ❑ Check that the phone line is workin g. Y ou c an check the l ine by plugging[...]

72 nN Using y our V AIO computer My modem connectio n is slo w Many fact ors infl uence modem connecti on sp eed, incl uding telephone line no ise or c ompatib ility with t elepho ne equi pment (s uch a s fax machin es or othe r modems ). If you think y our modem is not c onnectin g properly to othe r PC-base d modem s, fax ma chines, or your Inte [...]

73 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the Bluetooth functionality (V GN-A ser ies) If your VAIO compute r is eq uipped wit h the B luetooth fun ctional ity*, you can esta blish wir eless c ommunic ation betwe en your comput er and oth er Blue tooth de vices s uch as another c ompute r or a mobi le pho ne. You ca n tran sfer dat a betwee n these de[...]

74 nN Using y our V AIO computer Bluetoot h security The Bluetoo th wirele ss techn ology has an aut henticati on functi on, whic h allows yo u to mak e sure w ith whom y ou commun icate. Wi th the authenti catio n functio n, you ca n avoid a ny anony mous Blu etooth d evice to ac cess y our com puter. The first time two Bl uetooth devices c ommuni[...]

75 nN Using y our V AIO computer Communica ting with another Bluetoot h de vice You can c onnect y our compute r to a Bluetooth device such as another c omputer or a mobi le phone w ithout any cables . To comm unicate wi th another Bluetoo th devic e, proce ed as foll ows: 1 T ur n on the Wireless swi t c h . 2 Choose Start > Control P anel >[...]

76 nN Using y our V AIO computer ❑ If the docume ntation of the other bluetooth de vice cont ains a password, click Use the pa sskey f ound in the documentation and enter the pa sskey . ❑ If you want to create your own passke y , click Let me use my own passkey a nd ente r a pass ke y . ❑ If your device does not us e a pass ke y , cli ck Don&[...]

77 nN Using y our V AIO computer Communica ting with another Bluetoot h de vice using the Bluetooth File T r ansf er Wizard You can e asily tra nsfer data, suc h as fil es or pi ctures, to another Bluetoot h devi ce. To transfe r data fr om or to a nother Bluet ooth dev ice, proc eed as fo llows: 1 Choose Start > All Programs > A ccessori es [...]

78 nN Using y our V AIO computer Stopping the Bl uetooth conne ction To stop the B luetooth c onnecti on, turn o ff the Wirel ess switch. Th e Bluetoot h LED tu rns off. Additional inf or mation ❑ The da ta transfer rate varies, dependi ng on the following co nditio ns: ❑ Obsta cles , such as wal ls, located betw een de vices ❑ Distanc e betw[...]

79 nN Using y our V AIO computer T roub leshootin g the Bluetooth functi onality I can not use th e Bluet ooth f unctional ity ❑ If the Bl uetooth LED is of f , tur n on th e Wireless sw i t c h . ❑ Y ou c annot use the Blueto oth func tionali ty when the compu ter is in a power saving mod e. Retur n to nor mal mode, then tu r n on the Wire les[...]

80 nN Using y our V AIO computer The data tra nsf er speed is slo w The data trans fer speed depends on th e obstacl es and/or th e distanc e between the two d evices, but also on the ra dio wave qua lit y, the operat ing sys tem or the software used. T ry to move your co mputer or try to pla ce the two devices closer. I canno t comm unicate with t[...]

81 nN Using y our V AIO computer The me ssage The Blu etooth de vice requires authentica tion appea rs in the n otificati on area. The targ et Bluetoo th enabled devi ce is r equestin g connec tion au thenticati on. Mutual authen tication is requir ed to e nable Bl ueto oth communic ations w ith this d evice. Cann ot connect to s ervice suppor ted [...]

82 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using Wireless LAN (WLAN) Thanks to S ony's Wir eless LAN (WLAN) , all your digital d evices with built- in WLAN functiona lity com munic ate freely with each ot her through a powe rful networ k. A WLAN is a network in whic h a mobile us er can co nnect to a l ocal area netwo rk (LAN) thr ough a wire less (radi[...]

83 nN Using y our V AIO computer Communica ting without A ccess P oint (ad-hoc) An ad-ho c netwo rk is a net work in which a lo cal netwo rk is crea ted onl y by the w ireless d evices the mselves , with no o ther cen tr al controll er or Access Point. Each device com municate s direct ly with other devices in the ne twork. You can s et up an ad-ho[...]

84 nN Using y our V AIO computer 6 Enter a Netw ork name (SSID) *. Y ou can choose a 32-digit alphanum eric n ame. 7 Select Open from the Network A uthentication drop- do wn bo x. 8 Select WEP from the Dat a Encryp tion drop- down box. 9 Dese lect the Th e key is provided for me automat ically option button. Some in f or mati on becom es vi sible. [...]

85 nN Using y our V AIO computer * If y ou want to communicate between two or more computers, y ou need to configure all these computers the exact same wa y . This means that you need to enter the same Networ k name and the s ame Network key on all computers as on the fi rst computer you configure. ** Hexadecimal : A number repr esentation using th[...]

86 nN Using y our V AIO computer Communica ting with an A ccess P oint (infr astr ucture) An inf rastructu re network is a net work that extends an ex isting wi red local network to wirel ess devic es by p roviding an Acce ss P oint, for exam ple the So ny Access Point . The Acce ss Poi nt bridge s the wir eless a nd wired L AN and ac ts as a c ent[...]

87 nN Using y our V AIO computer 4 Select the networ k you want to use. 5 T ype the Netw ork Key . If you are usin g the Sony Access Point , by def ault, you don't need to enter any encr ypti on ke y (WE P/WP A). T o be ab le t o comm unica te , yo u must sel ect the b o x Allow me to connect to the se lected wireless netw ork, e ven though it[...]

88 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using the WiFi protected access (WP A) WPA is a wirele ss secur ity enhan cemen t that allo ws yo u to trans fer data i n a highl y secur e way*. * For more inf or mation on the ac cess point, refer to the documentat ion that came wit h your access point. To use WPA on your compute r, proceed as follo ws: 1 T ur n o[...]

89 nN Using y our V AIO computer Wireless LAN channel selection In a 802.11b /g con figuratio n, channe l 1 to 1 3 can be u sed. (a) With an access p oint ("Infra structure") ❑ The c hannel us ed will b e the chan nel sele cted by the access poi nt. ! For detai ls on how to select the channel that will be used by th e access poin t, ref[...]

90 nN Using y our V AIO computer T roub leshootin g Wireless LAN I canno t use th e Wireless LAN funct ionalit y Check if the Wirele ss (V GN-A series) or Wireless LAN (PCG -K se ries) switch is tu rned on. The Wir eless LAN A ccess P oint and y our computer cannot comm unicate ❑ Check if the Wireles s (V GN-A series) or Wireless L AN (PC G-K ser[...]

91 nN Using y our V AIO computer The data tra nsf er speed is slo w ❑ The m aximum co mmunica tion spee d can vary d ependi ng on the obstacl es or t he distan ce be tween the communica tion d e vices, the radio wa ves , the ope rating syste m or the soft ware you use. Remove the obstacle or m ake the distan ce between the Access P oint and your [...]

92 nN Using y our V AIO computer I canno t use a Wireless LA N netw ork Check if the Wireles s Zero Configuration servic e is ac tive. To check the status of the Wireless Zero Configuration service , pr ocee d as fo llow s: 1 Click Start and then Control P anel . The Contr ol P anel window appea rs. 2 Click the P erf ormance and Maintenance ic on. [...]

93 nN Using y our V AIO computer Using pow er sa ving modes When yo u use a battery as the sour ce of powe r for your comp uter, you c an take adv antage of p ower manage ment se ttings to co nserv e battery life . In add ition to th e normal operatin g mode, whi ch allow s you to t urn off sp ecific devices, y our com puter has two di stinct power[...]

94 nN Using y our V AIO computer ✍ If you press the power butt on for more tha n four secon ds, the comp uter will swit ch off aut omaticall y . Y o u will lose any unsaved data. When the com puter is i n S tandb y mode, you canno t ins ert a dis c. The comp uter comes ou t of Stan dby mode quic ker than out of Hibernat e mode . Stan dby mode use[...]

95 nN Using y our V AIO computer To return to Normal mod e, proceed a s follows: Turn on the compu ter by pres sing the power but ton. The com puter retur ns to its previo us state. ✍ If you pr ess the p ower butto n for more than four seconds, th e compute r will swi tch off auto matically . If y ou do not us e th e AC ad apter for a long peri o[...]

96 nN Using y our V AIO computer Managing pow er with V AIO P ower Management Power man agemen t helps y ou to set u p power s chemes of your com puter that is runn ing on AC powe r or batter ies to s uit your requiremen ts for po wer consum ption. VAIO Po wer Manag ement i s a softwa re appli cation de velo ped excl usivel y for VA IO comp uters. [...]

97 nN Using y our V AIO computer Activ ating V AIO P ow er Management po wer schemes VAIO Po wer Manag ement pro vides sev eral prede fined power schemes . Each powe r schem e consi sts of a g roup of po wer management setti ngs that ar e desig ned to meet spec ific powe r managem ent goals , rangin g from max imum pow er manage ment to no power m [...]

98 nN Using y our V AIO computer ✍ If you h ave a co mputer with a mobile CPU (see the prin ted Specificatio ns sheet), a CPU con trol ico n may appe ar on the taskbar . Th e CPU con trol icon i ndicates the CPU c ontrol status (Pe rform ance, Adap tive, Batt ery L ife, Deg rade). T o make the i con appear , click the Adva nced bu tton on th e VA[...]

99 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting per i pheral de vices You can a dd functio nality to your c omputer b y using the vari ous ports on you r unit. ❑ Connecting a port replicator (page 100 ) ❑ Connecting an external disp lay (page 106) ❑ Selecting display mode s (page 11 6) ❑ Using the Multiple Monitors function (page 1 17) ?[...]

100 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a por t replicator (V GN -A series) Your comp uter suppo rts the use of an option al port repli cator. Atta chin g a port replic ator enabl es you to con nect additi onal pe ri pherals to your com puter, such as a printe r and an e xternal display . ✍ The port repl icator can be powered only with[...]

101 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Attaching y our computer to the por t replicator To attach your comp uter to the port re plicator, p roceed a s follows: 1 Disconnec t all per ipherals f rom the c omputer . 2 Plug th e power cord (1) in to the AC adapter a nd an AC outlet. 3 Plug th e cable attached to the AC adapter (2 ) into th e DC In por[...]

102 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices 5 Align the bottom c onnector of the co mputer wi th the conn ector on the por t replic ator and push down until it clicks in to place. 6 Slide the lock le ver to LOCK .[...]

103 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices 7 T ur n on the c omputer . ✍ When att aching yo ur comput er to the po rt replicat or , do n ot attempt to insert o r remove the batter y pack. Lifting an d turnin g t he compu ter with the at tached port repli cator may caus e a tempor ary loss of po wer . Use the AC adap ter that com es with your compute[...]

104 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Disconnecting y our computer from the por t replicator ! Make sure to turn off your com puter bef ore discon necting it from the port repl icator to p revent los s of unsaved data. To discon nect your compute r from t he port repl icator, proceed as follows : 1 T ur n off the c omputer and the connecte d per [...]

105 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices 4 Close th e por t replica tor conne ctor cover on the bo ttom of your co mputer . ✍ It is ext remely impo rtant to close the port repli cator conn ector cove r after disconn ecting you r computer f rom the port repl icat or . If the cover is left open, dust may get i nside and damage the comp uter . T o di[...]

106 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting an e xter nal displa y You can co nnect an external dis play to y our VAIO co mputer. F or exampl e, you can use your com puter with a computer display or a projecto r. ✍ Connect the power cord aft er connecti ng all other ca bles. Conne cted external display s are used as se cond screens . On Wi[...]

107 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a computer displa y You can c onnect a compu ter disp lay (mo nitor) either di rectly to your computer or via the (opti onal) po rt replic ator*. * Depending on y our model. See the printed Specifications sheet for more information. VG N - A s e r i e s To conne ct a com puter displ ay, proc eed as[...]

108 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices ✍ VGN-A seri es is equippe d with the DVI -D connect or . DVI-D stands for Di gital Visual Int erface - Digital . It is a kind of DVI co nnector tha t only s upports dig ital vid eo signals, so no analog ue vide o signals . It has 24 pins. A DVI-I conne ctor ( Digita l Visual Interfac e - Integr ated ) supp[...]

109 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a mult imedia computer displa y You ca n connec t a multim edia comp uter d isplay that inclu des buil t-in spe akers and a microp hone ei ther direc tly to y our comp uter or via the ( option al) por t replicato r*. * Depending on y our model. See the printed Specifications sheet for more informat[...]

110 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a TV You can c onnect a TV direc tly or via the (opti onal) po rt repl icator*. * Depending on y our model. See the printed Specifications sheet for more information. To conne ct a TV to t he com puter, proc eed as fol lows: 1 Plug th e power cord of the TV (1) into an A C outl et. 2 Plug on e end [...]

111 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices ✍ See the manual sup plie d with your p eriphe ral for mo re inf ormation on insta llati on and use. If you in sert a DVD in yo ur DVD-RO M drive to watc h a video on your TV , the < Fn >+< F7 > key co mbinatio n migh t not acti vate the f unction t o toggle b etween your LCD an d TV . Solut ion[...]

112 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Which c able can I u se to co nnect my V AIO equip ped with an Audio/Vi deo port to a TV? Y ou need to use a n A V ca ble which ha s a min ijack co nnector on on e end and 3 RCA (al so called cinch) connectors on t he other en d. For examp le, the Sony VMC- 20FR which is av ailable via direct sale s and vario[...]

113 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a project or You can c onnect a project or (such as the Son y LCD pro jector) eithe r direc tly to your compute r or via t he (optio nal) port r eplic ator* . * Depending on y our model. See the printed Specifications sheet for more information. To conne ct a pro jector, p roceed as follows: 1 Conn[...]

114 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices T roub leshootin g e xternal displa ys I canno t use th e Plug an d Displa y function (V GN-A series) Depending o n the exte rnal dis play or the way i t is con nected, th e Plug and Display function may n ot be availa ble. Use the sh ortcut key wi th the Fn key to sele ct the outp ut destina tion. I cannot d[...]

115 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices 10 Click Ye s once again. ! Click to check the ab ove button only if the external disp lay with t he DVI-D co nnector does n ot display properly with the def aul t setti ngs. The ext ernal disp lay wit h the D VI-D conn ector do es not displa y the boo t-up scree n and t he BIOS s etup sc reen at startup. T o[...]

116 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Selecting displa y modes Your VAIO co mputer u ses the ATI vi deo contro ller. You can select whic h display to be used as the pri mary moni tor when an ext ern al display (d esktop mo nitor, T V, etc.) is c onnected t o the comput er. If you wa nt to work on you r comput er's LCD and t he extern al d is[...]

117 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Using the Multiple Monitors function The Mult iple Moni tors fun ction all ows you to distribu te portio ns of you r deskt op acros s separat e disp lays. F or exampl e, if you have an extern al display attached to the m onitor/VGA connec tor, your c omputer 's LCD and th e externa l display can func tio[...]

118 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Selecting the Mult iple Monitors mode To sele ct the Mul tiple Monitors mo de, pr oceed as follows: 1 Click the St art b utton on the Windows taskbar . 2 Click Control P anel . 3 Click Appearance and Themes . 4 Click the Display icon. 5 Select the Settings tab . 6 Click the mo nitor icon mar ked 2 . 7 Select [...]

119 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Setting the col ours and r esolution f or each di spla y You can s et the d isplay co lour s and re solution for each disp lay that i s part o f multip le monit ors. To set th e display c olours and resol ution for each displ ay, proc eed as fo llows: 1 Click the St art b utton on the Windows taskbar . 2 Clic[...]

120 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Customising the m ultiple monitors You can c ustomis e the Mult iple M onitors mo de by cha nging the p osition of the tw o monit ors compr ising the m ultipl e monitor s. To cust omize Mu ltiple Mo nitors mod e, procee d as foll ows: 1 Click the St art b utton on the Windows taskbar . 2 Click Control P anel [...]

121 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Deactiv ating the Multiple Monitors function To deact ivate the Multiple Monito rs functio n, procee d as fo llows: 1 Click the St art b utton on the Windows taskbar . 2 Click Control P anel . 3 Click Appearance and Themes . 4 Click the Display icon. 5 Click the Sett ings tab . 6 Click the mo nitor icon 2 . 7[...]

122 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting e xter nal speak ers You can e nhance the sound quality of your comput er by conn ecting ex ternal s peaker s. To conne ct external speake rs, pro ceed as follows: 1 Plug on e end o f a speaker cable (1) into the he adphone connect or (2) i on the computer. 2 Plug th e other en d of the speaker cab[...]

123 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices T roub leshooting soun d My speakers ar e not pr oducin g sou nd ❑ V GN-A series ❑ The built-in spe akers ma y be tur ne d off (the M ute % in dicato r is on). Press the Mute button to tur n on the s peakers. ❑ The speaker volume may be tur ned to the min imum. Press the V olume up button to increa se t[...]

124 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting an e xter nal microphone If you need to use a s ound inpu t device , for exa mple to c hat on the In ternet, y ou need to plug i n an externa l micropho ne. To conne ct an ext ernal mi crophon e, proce ed as foll ows: Plug the m icropho ne cable (1) in to the mic rophone c onnector ( 2) m on t he c[...]

125 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices T roub leshooting soun d My micr ophone does not w ork If you are using an externa l microph one, ch eck that the micr ophone is plugged into the microp hone conn ector c orrectly . My mi crophone v olume i s too hi gh or to o low Proceed as follo ws to adju st the volum e. 1 Click Start and then Control P an[...]

126 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Only left-c hannel audio is recorde d with a mona ural microph one (V GN-A series) Proceed as follow s to change the audi o channe l setting . 1 Click Start and then Control P anel . The Contr ol P anel window appea rs. 2 Click Sounds, Speech, and A udio Devices and then Sounds and Audio De vices . 3 Click Vo[...]

127 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a Univ ersal Se rial Bus (USB) de vice You can c onnect a USB devi ce (for example , a mous e, floppy disk d rive, key board, pri nter) to your co mputer. USB devi ces a re hot pl ug and pla y devic es. You d o not ne ed to shut down your compute r prior to conne cting the se devic es unle ss the m[...]

128 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a USB mouse To conne ct a USB mouse, pr oceed as follows : 1 Choose t he USB connecto r (1) you pre f er to use. 2 Plug th e USB m ouse cable (2) into the U SB co nnector . Y ou c an now use your USB m ouse (3). ✍ The VAIO USB mouse software d river is pre instal led on your c omput er , therefor[...]

129 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a USB fl opp y disk driv e As an opti onal e xtra, you c an purc hase a US B floppy disk dri ve and co nnect it to your compute r. To conne ct a USB floppy di sk dri ve, procee d as fo llows: 1 Choose t he USB connecto r you prefer to use. 2 Plug th e USB f lopp y dis k dr ive cable into the USB co[...]

130 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Inser ting a flopp y disk To inse rt a flopp y disk , procee d as foll ows: 1 Hold the disk ( 1) with the label s ide facing up. 2 Gently push the disk i nto the d rive (2) un til it clicks in to plac e.[...]

131 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Removing a floppy disk To remo ve a flopp y disk , procee d as foll ows: When you hav e finishe d using the flo ppy disk , wait until the LED indic ator (1) tur ns off and then pr ess the eject button (2) to remove the disk. ✍ Before pr essing the ej ect button, make sure tha t the LED indi cator is turn ed[...]

132 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices T roub leshooting f lopp y di sks My USB fl oppy disk dr ive cannot wr ite t o a flop p y disk ❑ The fl opp y disk is wri te-pro tected. Disable the writ e-protect feature o r use a f loppy disk that is no t writ e-protec ted. ❑ Check that the disk is p roperl y inser ted into the flo ppy dis k dri v e. ?[...]

133 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a pr inter You can c onnect a Windows- compati ble pri nter to yo ur comp uter to prin t docu ments. Connecting a printer using t he USB con nector You can c onnect a USB printer compati ble with you r versio n of Windo ws to you r comput er. To conne ct a printer using the USB c onnect or, procee [...]

134 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a printer using the printer connector To conne ct a pri nter using the print er co nnector, proceed as follow s: 1 Plug th e pri nter power cord (1 ) into an AC outlet. 2 Plug th e pri nter cable (2) supp lied with your printe r into the pri nter connec tor (3) on the c omputer o r the (op tional) [...]

135 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices T roub leshooting printers ❑ Make sure that the prin ter driver suppor ts Windows XP . Ask th e manufacturer of your pr inter for the dr iver that su ppor ts Window s XP . ❑ The pr inter c onnector on the por t replic ator is i nter nally connecte d to the USB. If your print er is conn ected to the pr int[...]

136 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices ❑ If the bidirecti onal com munication functions are pr ovided with your pr inter, disabling the fu nctions on your computer may enabl e pr inting . Procee d as follows: 1 Click Star t and then Control P a nel . 2 Click the Printer s and Other Hard ware icon. 3 Click the Printers an d Faxes icon. 4 Right-cl[...]

137 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting an i.LINK device Your co mputer in clude s an i.LIN K (IEEE 1394) c onnector, whi ch you c an use to connect to an i .LINK devi ce suc h as a dig ital vid eo camera rec order or to connec t two V AIO compute rs in ord er to cop y, delete or edit file s. The i.LINK connec tor of yo ur compu ter does[...]

138 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting a digital video camer a recorder To conne ct a digi tal video c amera rec order, p roceed as follows: 1 Plug one end of the i.L INK cable (1) into the i.LINK co nnecto r (2) of the computer and the othe r end into the D V In/Ou t connect or (3) o n the digi tal video camera recorder. 2 Laun ch D Vg[...]

139 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices ✍ On Sony di gital video camer as, conn ectors labelled DV Out , DV In/Out or i.LINK are i. LINK- compati ble. The Sony digital video camera reco rder is an ex ample; your di gital vid eo camera rec order may ne ed to be connec ted diffe rently . If your digital vi deo camera reco rder includ es a Memor y S[...]

140 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices T roub leshooting i. LINK de vices I canno t estab lish an i.LI NK conne ction be twee n two V AIO co mput ers ❑ Y ou must hav e adm inistrator r ight s on your co mputer to be able to li nk the two . ❑ Disconnec t then reconne ct the i.LI NK cable. ❑ If you still have no conne ction afte r waiting for [...]

141 nN Connec ting periph eral dev ices Connecting to a networ k (LAN) You can c onnect y our com puter to 1 0BASE- T/100BA SE-TX/1 000BA SE-T-type networ ks* vi a an Ether net net work cable . For th e detailed s ettings and devic es neede d to conne ct to th e network , consult y our Network Adminis trator. ✍ The defaul t settin gs make your co[...]

142 nN Customising y our computer Customising your computer The follow ing sectio ns briefly de scrib e how to change the ma in settings of your com puter. Amo ng other thing s, you will lear n ho w to prepare your mo dem for use, how to us e and cu stomi se the loo k of your S ony soft ware and u tilities , etc. ❑ Settin g up your languag e with[...]

143 nN Customising y our computer Setting up your language with Windows XP Prof essional Windows XP Prof essiona l com puters are equipp ed with the Multilingual User Interface (MUI) f eature. It allows you to change t he English operatin g system, s ome softwa re appli cations and the k eyboard layout i nto the lan guage o f your c hoice: French ,[...]

144 nN Customising y our computer 4 In the Advanced tab of the Regional and Language Options window , sele ct your langua ge from the Language for non-Unicode programs drop-down menu. 5 T o chang e the la nguage of th e Win dows menus, dialog box es and onli ne help fi les provid ed by Microso ft Windows, selec t the Languages tab of the Regional a[...]

145 nN Customising y our computer To chang e the key board la yout, p roceed as follow s: 1 Click Start and then Control P anel . 2 In the Control P anel window , double-c lick the Regional and Language Options icon. If you do not s ee this ico n, click Switch to C lassic View on the left s ide. 3 In the Languages tab of the Re gional and Language [...]

146 nN Customising y our computer Configuring your modem Before you can start using your inte rnal modem (not all modem are built-in), or each time you use your modem while travelling, ma ke s ure that the country of the active location defined in the Phone an d Modem Option s dialog box matches the country you are dialling from. Yo u may no tic e [...]

147 nN Customising y our computer Updating the modem driv er If you need to upda te the mode m driver f or any rea son, pro ceed as foll ows: 1 Click the St art b utton and open Control P anel . The Contr ol P anel window appea rs. 2 Click the Printe rs and Oth er Har dware ic on. The Printer s and Other Har dwa re window appear s. 3 Click the Phon[...]

148 nN Customising y our computer Setting a Sony wallpaper Your Son y VAIO computer offers you, among many othe r feat ures, a cho ice of wal lpapers. You can c hange the wallpa per, the b ackground of your d esktop, a s many ti mes as y ou lik e. There ar e several VAIO-sp ecific wallpaper s to choos e from. To set an other VAIO wallpape r, procee[...]

149 nN Customising y our computer Installing and updating applications This sec tion expl ains how to instal l, run or un insta ll a soft ware. Furthermo re, you w ill learn how to downl oad the lat est upd ates from ou r websit e. ❑ Installing software (page 150) ❑ Changing or remov ing software (page 151) ❑ Caution (page 152 ) ❑ Downloadi[...]

150 nN Customising y our computer Installing softw are To insta ll bundl ed softwar e from th e suppli ed Reco very D isc or yo ur hard di sk driv e, see th e printed Recovery Gu ide for deta ils. For softwar e bund led with a ccessor ies, che ck first th e installat ion proc edure tha t come s with the access ory. To insta ll other software, use t[...]

151 nN Customising y our computer Changing or remo ving softw are You can r emove or change a softw are applic ation any time y ou like . Before p roceedi ng, clos e the a pplication you wan t to ch ange/ remo ve. To change o r remov e software, p roceed a s follows: 1 F rom the Sta r t menu, cli ck Cont rol P anel . The Contr ol P anel window appe[...]

152 nN Customising y our computer Caution Windo ws File protectio n Installi ng a program might overwrite shared s ystem file s such a s dy namic-link libra ries (DLL fil es)* and executab le fil es (EXE fi les). When sy stem file s are ov erwritt en, syst em perfor mance be comes unpredic table, programs b ehave erratical ly, and t he oper ating s[...]

153 nN Customising y our computer Downloa ding software Please n ote it is possible to downlo ad the late st upg rades of so ftware for your comp uter fro m our webs ite. To downlo ad the late st upg rades, p roceed a s follows: 1 Go to www .vaio-link.com and choos e your langu age. 2 Select Driver s and Updates and follow the procedur e. ✍ T o i[...]

154 nN Customising y our computer Managing driv ers A driver i s a softwa re enabling you to u se hardw are devi ces. Fo r example, i n order for you to be able to u se a printer , you mus t first install its drive r. Many d rivers, such as the mouse driver, c ome with th e operati ng sys tem. This sec tion ex plains how to instal l, che ck, upda t[...]

155 nN Customising y our computer Installing a driv er For more informati on on (r e)install ing dri vers, see the print ed R ecovery Guid e for details. To insta ll a driv er that is stored on the C : drive, proceed as follows: 1 Go to th e folder C:Drivers . 2 Select the c orrec t f older . If you need to u pdate a modem dr iver , for example, s[...]

156 nN Customising y our computer 8 Click Finish . Y ou ma y be asked to restar t your mach ine. 9 Click Ye s . The d river is ins talle d. ✍ T o insta ll your dev ice driver , you must log on to your compu ter as a user with ad ministrat or rights.[...]

157 nN Customising y our computer Chec king the driv er's inst allation When the c ompute r restart s, check th at the devi ce is wor king proper ly. To check the driv er's ins tallatio n, pro ceed as f ollows: 1 F rom the Sta r t menu, cli ck Cont rol P anel . The Contr ol P anel window appea rs. 2 Click P erformance and Maintenance . 3 [...]

158 nN Customising y our computer ❑ If the This device is wor king properl y mes sage is not d isplayed, the de vice is not wor king p roper ly . Click OK to close t he Properties dia log box, then reins tall the dr iver as follows: ❑ Right-cli ck Uninstall . ❑ When the Confirm Device Remov al dia log box appears, click OK . ❑ Click Ye s an[...]

159 nN Customising y our computer Upda ti ng a dr iver To update the driv er, proce ed as foll ows: 1 Click Start on the tas kbar . 2 Click Control P anel . 3 Click the Printe rs and Oth er Har dware ic on. And then click the device you want to revert. 4 On the Har d wa re tab , click Pr operties . 5 On the Dri ver tab, clic k Upda te Driver . 6 Fo[...]

160 nN Customising y our computer Uninstalli ng a drive r Leave the d evice con nected to your co mputer whi le unins talling the driver . To unins tall the d river, pr oceed as follows : 1 Click Start on the tas kbar . 2 Click Control P anel . 3 Click the Printe rs and Oth er Har dware ic on. And then click the device you want to revert. 4 On the [...]

161 nN Customising y our computer 8 When t he Confirm Device Remov al dialo g bo x ap pears, click OK . The dr iver is uninstal led. ✍ T o u ninstall your d evice driver , you must be logge d on t o you r comp uter with admin istrator righ ts.[...]

162 nN Customising y our computer Restoring a drive r System R estor e is a fea ture of Mi crosof t Windows XP that r estores y our com puter to a previo us state, if a pr oblem oc curs, w itho ut losing y our perso nal data fi les. System R estor e monitor s chang es to th e syste m, and it au tomati cally c reates easily identifie d rest ore poi [...]

163 nN Customising y our computer Or: 1 Click Start on the tas kbar . 2 Click My Computer f rom the menu. 3 Click View syst em information on the left of the wi ndow . 4 Click the Har dware tab, then click Device Manag er . 5 Double-click the option co rrespondi ng to th e device y ou i nstalled , then d ouble-click your de vice. The Pr operties di[...]

164 nN Customising y our computer Downloa ding drivers Note that it i s poss ible to do wnload the latest ve rsions of driver s for your compute r on our web site. To downlo ad the late st driv ers, pr oceed as fo llows : 1 Go to www .vaio-link.com and choos e your langu age. 2 Select Driver s and Updates and follow the procedur e. For more informa[...]

165 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer Upgr ading your V AIO computer Your comp uter and memory modules use hi gh precisio n components and electr onic conne ctors techno logy. To avoid the inval idation of your g uarantee by misha ndling, i t is recom mended that: ❑ Y ou c ontact your deal er to ins tall a new memor y mod ule. ❑ Y ou do not ins[...]

166 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer ❑ Electros tatic Dis charge (E SD) can dama ge memor y modules and other com ponents. Ins tall the mem or y modul e only at an E SD work station. If such a station is not available, do not wor k in a ca r peted area, and do not h andle mate rial s that pr oduce or ho ld static electr icity ( cellophan e wrapp[...]

167 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer Removing and inst alling a memor y module VG N - A s e r i e s To chang e or add a memory mo dule to the memor y module slot on t he bottom of the co mputer, pr oceed a s follows: 1 Shut down your com puter and disconn ect all p erip heral devices. 2 Unplug th e compute r and re mov e the batter y pack. 3 W ait[...]

168 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 6 Remove the memor y module: ❑ Pul l the t abs in the di rect ion of the a rro ws ( 1). The m emory mod ule is rele ased . ❑ Make sure that t he memo r y modul e tilts up and then pu ll it out in the directi on of the ar row (2). 7 Remove the new memor y modul e from its p ackaging. 8 Install the me mor y m[...]

169 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 9 Close th e memor y module c ompar tment cover and then ti ghten the s crews on the bottom of th e computer. 10 Reinsta ll the batt er y pa ck and tur n on the computer . To chang e or add a memory mo dule to the memor y module undernea th the key board, p roceed as f ollows: 1 Shut down your com puter and dis[...]

170 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 6 Introdu ce a shar p obje ct (suc h as a fin e screwdri v er) b etween the keys indicate d on the picture (1) and pus h gent ly upwards. 7 Lift the keyboard from the to uchpad side, tur n it over the indicators, and gen tly prop it up against the LCD display . Be carefu l not to detac h the cable when lifting [...]

171 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 9 Remove the memor y module: ❑ Pul l the t abs in the di rect ion of the a rro ws ( 1). The m emory mod ule is rele ased . ❑ Make sure that t he memo r y modul e tilts up and then pu ll it out in the directi on of the ar row (2). 10 Remove the new memor y modul e from its p ackaging.[...]

172 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 11 Install the me mor y modu le. ❑ Slide th e memor y module into the s lot. ❑ Push in the memor y modu le until i t clicks into pl ace. ! Do not touch any other co mpone nts on th e mother board .[...]

173 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 12 Gently replace t he keyboard and the n press it into th e computer. 13 Close th e LCD and tu rn ov er the co mputer ups ide down. 14 Close th e memor y module c ompar tment cover and then ti ghten the s crews on the bottom of th e computer. 15 Reinsta ll the batt er y pa ck and tur n on the computer .[...]

174 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer PCG-K ser ie s To change o r add a memory mo dule, pro ceed as follows: 1 Shut down your com puter and disconn ect all p erip heral devices. 2 Unplug th e compute r and re mov e the batter y . 3 W ait unti l the com puter cools d own. 4 Unscr e w the screw on the b ottom of the compu ter and r emov e the m emor[...]

175 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 6 Remove the memor y module: ❑ Pul l the t abs in the di rect ion of the a rro ws ( 1). The m emory mod ule is rele ased . ❑ Make sure that t he memo r y modul e tilts up and then pu ll it out in the directi on of the ar row (2). 7 Remove the new memor y modul e from its p ackaging.[...]

176 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 8 Slide the memor y module i nto the memor y mo dule slot and push it in until it cli cks into place. ! Do not touch any other co mpone nts on th e mother board . 9 Replace the me mor y modu le com par tmen t cov er . 10 Tighten th e screw on the bot tom of th e compute r . 11 Reinsta ll the batt er y pa ck and[...]

177 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer Vie wing the amount of memor y To view the amount o f memory, pr oceed a s follows : 1 T ur n on the c omputer . 2 Go to V AIO Control Center via t he Start menu. 3 Double-click the Sy stem Inf or matio n f older in the V AIO Control Center window . 4 Double-click the Sy stem Inf or matio n icon i n the System [...]

178 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer Changing the Video Memor y Siz e If your comp uter is the PCG-K4 15B mo del, you can chan ge the vid eo mem ory size . ! Disco nnect all pe ripheral dev ices but the AC adapte r before changi ng the vide o memor y size . When the chan ge is compl ete, conne c t all the perip heral devic es back agai n. The vide[...]

179 nN Upgrading y our V AIO computer 9 When the mess age "Save configuration chan ges and exit now?" appear s, select Ye s and p ress th e < Enter > key . Y our c ompute r rest arts. 10 Check the video memor y size. 1 Click Star t , point to All Programs , then click V AIO Contr ol Center . The V AIO Contr ol Center wi ndow appears[...]

180 nN Getting hel p Getting hel p This sec tion de scribes how to ge t help and suppo rt if som ething goes wrong with your c omputer. Sony offer s you many suppor t options for your c omputer. Sony suppor t options See Documentation pack (pag e 8) for de tails on the printed a nd onl ine docum entation d eliver ed with yo ur compu ter, as we ll a[...]

181 nN Getting hel p e-Suppor t What is e-Suppo r t? You have s earched our user guides and web site ( www.vaio-link.com ) bu t have not foun d an answer to your qu estion/i ssue? e-Su pport is the id eal solu tion for you! Our e-Sup port Web P ortal is an interac tive websi te on whic h you can submi t any techn ical que ry you ma y have re gardin[...]

182 nN Getting hel p Can I submit my questions at an y time? Yes, you c an submi t your qu estions 24/7, but please k eep in mind that our e- Suppor t Team ca n only tr eat your q ueries f rom Monda y till Frid ay between 8am an d 6pm. Is there a cost in v olved f or using e-Suppor t? No, this i s a complete free of c harge s ervice offe red to all[...]

183 nN Pr ecaut ion s Precautio ns This sec tion de scribes safety guideli nes and pre cautio ns to hel p you pr otect you r comput er from pote ntial d amage. ❑ On handling the har d disk (pag e 184) ❑ On handling the LCD screen (page 185 ) ❑ On using the powe r source (page 186) ❑ On handling yo ur computer (page 187 ) ❑ On handling flo[...]

184 nN Pr ecaut ion s On handling the h ard disk The hard disk h as a high s torage d ensity and rea ds or writes data in a sh ort time . However , it c an be easily d amaged by mec hani cal vibrati on, shock or dust. Although th e hard disk has the inter nal safety device to preve nt losi ng data due t o mech anica l vibrat ion, shoc k or dust, y [...]

185 nN Pr ecaut ion s On handling the LCD screen ❑ Do not le av e the LCD facing the sun as i t can dama ge the LCD . Be ca reful when using th e comp uter near a window . ❑ Do not sc ratch the L CD or ex e r t pres sure o n it. This c ould ca use a mal function. ❑ Using t he compute r in low temp erature c onditions ma y p roduce a r esidual[...]

186 nN Pr ecaut ion s On using the pow er source ❑ See the pr inted Specificat ions s heet to c heck the power operation of your V AIO. ❑ Do not sh are th e A C outl et with othe r power-consum ing equip ment, suc h as a pho tocopier or shred der . ❑ Y ou c an purc hase a power str ip wi th a su rge protec tor . This device prev ents damage t[...]

187 nN Pr ecaut ion s On handling your computer ❑ Clean the cabinet wi th a soft c loth, which i s either dr y or ligh tly moisten ed with a mi ld dete rgent soluti on. Do not us e any ty pe of abrasive pad, sc ouri ng powder , or solvent su ch as al cohol or benzin e, as these may damage the fi nish of your computer. ❑ Should you drop a solid [...]

188 nN Pr ecaut ion s ❑ If the co mputer is brought dire ctly from a cold lo cation to a war m on e, moisture may condense i nside your comput er . In this ca s e, allow at lea st one hou r before tur ning on your computer . If any p roblems occur , unplug your computer and cont act V AIO-Link . ❑ Make sure you disco nnect the power cord before[...]

189 nN Pr ecaut ion s On handling discs ❑ Do not touch the surface of the disc . ❑ Do not dr op or ben d the dis c. ❑ Finge r pri nts and dust on the surface of a disc may cause read errors. Alwa ys hold the disc by its edges a nd central hole, as sh own : ❑ Proper ca re of the dis c is essen tial to its con tinuous reli ability . Do not us[...]

190 nN Pr ecaut ion s On using the batter y pack ❑ Nev er leav e the b atter y pack in tem peratures abov e 60° C (140°F) , such as in a car par ked in the sun or under direct s unlight. ❑ Batter y life is shor ter in a c old environmen t. This is due to decreas ed batter y efficien cy at low tem peratures. ❑ Charge the batter ies a t tempe[...]

191 nN Pr ecaut ion s On handling Memor y Stic ks ❑ Do not tou ch the Memor y St ick connector wi th your finger or m etallic obj ects. ❑ Use onl y the labe l sup plied wit h the Me mor y Sti ck as a label . ❑ Do not bend, dro p , or app ly stro ng shock to th e Memor y S tick. ❑ Do not disass emble or modify Memor y S ticks. ❑ Do not le [...]

192 nN Pr ecaut ion s On handling the memor y card adapter (V GN-A series) ❑ Do not tou ch the memor y car d adapt er conne ctor with your finger or me tallic obj ects. ❑ Use onl y the labe l exclusively desig ned for the memor y card ad apter as a label. ❑ Do not bend, dro p , or app ly strong s hock to the me mor y car d ada pter . ❑ Do n[...]

193 nN T radem arks T rademar ks Sony, Ba ttery Check er, Clic k to DVD, D Vgate Plus, HotKey Uti lity, Ke yboard Util ity, Memo ry Stic k Formatter , PictureG ear Stu dio, Prepare your VAIO, SonicSta ge, S onicStage Maste ring S tudio, V AIO Co ntrol C enter, VAIO E dit C omponen ts, VA IO Laun cher, VAIO Media, VA IO Powe r Managem ent, VAIO Syst[...]

194 nN T radem arks ATHEROS and Atheros Dr iven are trad emarks of Atheros Com municati ons, Inc. The At heros and A theros Driv en logos ar e registered trademar ks of At heros Com municati ons, Inc . All other name s of system s, pr oducts a nd serv ices are t rademar ks of the ir respec tive owne rs. In the manua l, the ™ or ® mark s ar e not[...]