User manual GATEWAY SOLO 3350

Contents 1 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indicator light panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 2 Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Function key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecting the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 25 26 27 3 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Desktop items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About folders and files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Windows Me or Windows 2000 Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Windows 98 Find utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 31 33 35 36 36 38 39 41 43 44 45 47 49 i Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Transferring software and hardware from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Reinstalling your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Reinstalling your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 4 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 5 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Connecting the external drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Using the CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Inserting a CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Listening to music CDs in Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Listening to music CDs in Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Playing audio and video files with Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 ii 6 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 96 98 99 7 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing automatic power settings in Windows Me, Windows 98, or Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing power settings in Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 103 104 104 104 105 106 111 112 8 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 116 117 118 9 Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting the screen area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 120 122 124 126 128 10 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing Memory and Replacing the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacing the memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacing the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 134 135 137 137 142 145 iii 11 Using the Port Replicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 12 Networking Your Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Using a home network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Sharing MP3 audio and MPEG video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Sharing a printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Introducing the Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Components of a Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Selecting a connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 What are HPNA and Ethernet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Assessing your connection needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Comparing data transfer speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Connected home shopping list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 HPNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 13 Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172 Scanning the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Using Maintenance Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178 Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Cleaning the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 14 Using Gateway GoBack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 About Gateway GoBack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 iv Using Gateway GoBack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recovering a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Going back to an earlier hard drive state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Gateway GoBack if your computer will not start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turning off Gateway GoBack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clearing Gateway GoBack history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting your computer using a diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing Gateway GoBack's storage capacity and location . . . . . . . . . . . . . Updating your Gateway GoBack software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Getting help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 186 189 191 193 195 197 199 201 203 15 Reinstalling Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Reinstalling device drivers in Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows 2000 . . . . Updating device drivers in Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows 2000 . . . . . . Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Locating Windows NT 4.0 drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 video device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 audio device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 modem device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 network device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling the Windows NT Service Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 208 209 209 211 214 217 219 221 16 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Reinstalling Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 17 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 230 231 233 234 235 236 237 238 238 239 239 245 245 v Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247 ScanDisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248 Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248 Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249 18 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 HelpSpotTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 HelpSpot videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256 Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 Before calling Gateway technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261 Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263 A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 vi Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350 Tips & Tricks To access the contents of this manual while you are traveling, download the manual from www.gateway.com/support/manlib/. 1 1 Front Release latch Power indicator light Battery indicator light Component Release latch Power indicator light Icon Description Open the notebook cover by sliding the release latch to the right. Lights up when the notebook is turned on and shows notebook power status: s s s Steady green light indicates that power is on and the notebook is in operation. Flashing green light indicates that the notebook is in standby mode. No light indicates that the notebook is off. Battery indicator light Indicates the battery status while the AC power adapter is plugged in: s s s Green light indicates that the battery is fully charged. Orange light indicates that the battery is charging. Red light indicates a battery error. 2 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350 Left Ventilation fan (do not block) USB port Speaker jack Microphone jack Component Ventilation fan Microphone jack Icon Description Helps cool system components. Do not block. Plug a microphone into this jack. While the external microphone is connected, the built-in microphone is disabled. Plug external speakers or headphones into this jack. Speaker jack USB port Plug a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device (such as a USB IomegaTM ZipTM drive, scanner, or camera) into this port. Left 3 Right Kensington lock slot Hard drive PC Card eject button PC Card slot Component KensingtonTM lock slot Icon Description Secure your computer to an object by connecting a Kensington cable lock to this slot. The hard drive is stored here. Press the eject button to remove the PC Card from the PC Card slot. For more information, see "Adding PC Cards" on page 132. Insert a Type I or II PC Card into this slot. For more information, see "Adding PC Cards" on page 132. Hard drive PC Card eject button PC Card slot 4 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350 Back Ethernet jack Modem jack Monitor port Parallel port External drive connection Power connection PS/2 port Component Ethernet jack (optional) Icon Description Plug an Ethernet 10/100 network cable into this jack. Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. Monitor port Parallel port Plug an external (VGA) monitor into this port. Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port. External drive connection Power connection PS/2 port Plug the external drive cable into this connection. Plug the AC power adapter cable into this connection. Plug a PS/2 (Personal System/2TM) device (such as a keyboard or mouse) into this port. Back 5 Bottom Docking port System label Reset hole Hard drive bay Speaker Battery bay Battery status indicator Battery release latch Component Docking port Icon Description Connect an optional port replicator to this port. Warning! Power is passed through this connection. This docking connection is UL certified for use only with Solo 3350 port replicator devices. Reset hole If the system does not respond to input and you cannot use the shut down procedure, press a straightened paper clip into this hole to turn off the system. Provides audio output. The speaker is turned off while headphones are connected. Speaker 6 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350 Component Battery release latch Battery status indicator Battery bay Hard drive bay System label Icon Description Slide to release the battery. Press to see the charge level of the battery. A full charge is indicated by four lights. The notebook uses power from this battery while not connected to AC power. The hard drive is stored here. Includes the product model number and serial number. Bottom 7 Indicator light panel 1 A Power button Hard drive Pad lock Scroll lock Microphone Caps lock Indicator Power button Icon Description Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate mode. For more information on configuring the power button mode, see "Changing power modes" on page 105. Turns on when the hard drive is in use. Turns on when the embedded numeric keypad is activated. Turns on when Caps Lock is activated. Hard drive Pad Lock 1 Caps Lock Scroll Lock Turns on when Scroll Lock is activated. Microphone Record audio through this microphone. The built-in microphone is turned off while an external microphone is connected. 8 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350 Accessories Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your notebook. Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapters If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you may want to buy an additional battery so that you can swap batteries when necessary. With an automobile/airplane power adapter, you can save battery power by plugging your notebook into an automobile cigarette lighter or an airplane in-flight power receptacle. Carrying cases Gateway has large-capacity carrying cases if you need additional space for accessories or supplies. External drive module Your notebook has an optional external drive bay that lets you use a removable drive such as a diskette drive or CD/DVD drive. To change drives, you need to replace the drive module in the drive bay. Port replicator Although you can attach external devices directly to your notebook, a port replicator lets you make all of those connections at once. When you travel with your notebook, you merely disconnect from the port replicator instead of unplugging all the external devices. A port replicator also provides additional ports and other expansion features not included with your notebook. For more information, see "Using the Port Replicator" on page 147 External devices You can attach external devices such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, or monitor to your notebook or docking station. Memory Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of memory. If your programs are running more slowly than you think they should, try adding more memory. For more information, see "Replacing the memory" on page 142. Accessories 9 Printers You can attach almost any type of printer to your computer. The most common types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black and white. Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but usually they are slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you can print pictures, banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents. Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but usually they print much faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers when you are printing large documents. 10 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350 Getting Started s s s s s s s 2 This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read this chapter to find out: How to connect the AC power adapter How to start and turn off your notebook How to use the keyboard How to use the EZ PadTM touchpad How to connect the modem How to connect to a network How to install peripheral devices 11 Connecting the AC adapter You can run your notebook using an AC adapter or the notebook battery. The battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use the AC adapter right away to fully charge the battery. Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your notebook on battery power for the first time, the battery life may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on recalibrating the battery, see "Recalibrating the battery" on page 179. To connect the AC adapter: 1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter, then plug it in to a wall power outlet. Warning Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage rating as the original cord or the notebook may be damaged. 12 Getting Started 2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook's power connector. The battery charging indicator light turns on. If the battery charging indicator light does not turn on, disconnect the adapter from your notebook and repeat Step 2. 3 When you finish using your notebook, turn the notebook off and leave the notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours. The battery charge meters may not show a charge for several hours. For more information about battery meters, see "Monitoring the battery charge" on page 102. If the battery meters do not show a full charge after 24 hours, contact technical support at www.gateway.com/support/contact. Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable parts inside. The AC adapter has dangerous voltages that can cause serious injury or death. Contact Gateway about returning defective AC adapters. 4 Connecting the AC adapter 13 Protecting from power source problems During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your computer can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system damage. Protect your computer and peripherals by connecting them to a surge protector, which will absorb voltage surges and prevent them from reaching your computer. Warning High voltages can enter your computer through both the power cord and the modem connection. Protect your computer by using a surge protector. If you have a telephone modem, use a surge protector that has a modem jack. If you have a cable modem, use a surge protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the modem. 14 Getting Started Starting your notebook To start the notebook: 1 2 Open your notebook by sliding the latch on the front of your notebook to the right and lifting the LCD panel. Press the power button located above the keyboard. Power button The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set it to function in Standby/Resume mode. For instructions on changing the power button mode, see "Changing power modes" on page 105. 3 If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions to set up your computer. Starting your notebook 15 Waking up your notebook When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it may go into a basic power-saving mode which turns off your LCD and hard drive. Two advanced power-saving modes (called Standby and Hibernate) are also available for the Solo 3350. While in Standby, the power indicator light flashes. When you are ready to use your notebook after the screen has gone into basic power-saving mode, wake it up by pressing a button or key on the keyboard. If your notebook has gone into Standby or Hibernate mode, wake it up by briefly pressing the power button. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see "Extending battery life" on page 104. 16 Getting Started Turning off your notebook To turn off your notebook: 1 2 3 Click Start, then select Shut Down. The Shut Down Windows dialog box opens. Select Shut down. Click OK. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook. Important If for some reason you cannot use the Shut down option in Windows to turn off your notebook, press and hold the power button for about five seconds. Turning off your notebook 17 Using the keyboard Your notebook features a keyboard that has the same functionality as a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assigned alternate functions. The alternate function is printed on the key in green text. Function keys Navigation keys FN key Windows Key Numeric keypad Application key Arrow keys/ Brightness controls 18 Getting Started Keys Keys Function keys Icons Description Press these keys to perform actions in programs. For example, pressing F1 may open help. Each program uses different function keys for different purposes. Refer to the program documentation to find out more about the function key actions. FN key Press the FN key in combination with a Function key (such as F4 or F10) to perform a specific action. For more information, see "Function key combinations" on page 20. Press to open the Windows Start menu. Windows keys Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers when Pad Lock is turned on. Press FN+F9 to turn on the numeric keypad. Press for quick access to shortcut menus and help assistants in Windows. Press these keys to move the cursor up, down, right, or left. When used with the FN key, these also control the screen brightness. Press these keys to move the cursor up or down a page, or to the beginning or end of a document. Application key Arrow keys/ Brightness controls Navigation keys Using the keyboard 19 Function key combinations When you press an FN key and a Function key at the same time, the notebook performs the action identified by the green text on the key. Press FN and this function key... To... Open the power status box in the upper left corner of your screen. The menu shows the battery charge level, the BIOS version, and whether the AC power adapter is being used. Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external monitor, or both displays at the same time. Enable Standby mode (Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows Me) or Suspend mode (Windows NT) on your notebook. Press the power button to exit Standby or Suspend mode. Decrease volume. Increase volume. Mute the sound. Press the key combination again to restore the sound. Turn on Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. The Pad Lock status indicator appears while this function is turned on. Press the key combination again to turn off Pad Lock. Pause the text scrolling in a DOS screen. The Scroll Lock status indicator appears when this function is turned on. Press the key combination again to continue scrolling. (This function is only available in some programs.) Pause text scrolling. Press any key to continue the text scrolling. (This function is only available in some programs.) 20 Getting Started Press FN and this function key... To... Stop the currently running DOS program. (This function is only available in some programs.) Increase the brightness of the screen. Decrease the brightness of the screen. Using the keyboard 21 Using the EZ Pad touchpad The EZ PadTM consists of a touchpad and two buttons. Touchpad Pad buttons When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen moves in the same direction. You can use the EZ-Pad left and right buttons below the touchpad to select objects. 22 Getting Started Using the touchpad To... Move the pointer on the screen. Do this... Move your finger around on the touchpad. If you run out of space on your touchpad and need to move the pointer farther, lift your finger, move it to the middle of the touchpad, then continue moving your finger. Select an object on the screen. Position the pointer over the object. Press the left button below the touchpad once. This action is called clicking. Start a program or open a file or folder. Position the pointer over the object. Press the left button below the touchpad twice in rapid succession. This action is called double-clicking. Access a shortcut menu or find more information about an object on the screen. Position the pointer over the object. Quickly press and release the right button once. This action is called right-clicking. Using the EZ Pad touchpad 23 To... Move an object on the screen. Do this... Position the pointer over the object. Press the left button and hold it down, then use the touchpad to move (drag) the object to the appropriate part of the screen. Release the button to drop the object where you want it. 24 Getting Started Connecting the modem If your notebook has a modem jack, the notebook has a built-in V.90 56K modem and a telephone cable. To connect the modem: 1 Insert one end of the telephone cable into the modem jack back of the notebook. on the 2 3 Insert the other end of the telephone cable into a telephone wall jack. The modem will not work with digital or PBX telephone lines. Start your notebook, then start your communications software. Connecting the modem 25 Connecting the network If your notebook has a network jack, the notebook can connect to an Ethernet 10/100 network. To connect to a network: 1 Insert one end of the network cable into the network jack back of the notebook. on the 2 Insert the other end of the network cable into a network wall jack. Ask your network administrator to help you select the correct network jack. Your notebook is now physically connected to the network. Your network administrator can help you log on to your network. 26 Getting Started Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device Your computer has one or more of the following ports: Universal Serial Bus (USB) and parallel. These ports are used for connecting peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras to your computer. For more information about port locations, see "Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350" on page 1 USB ports support plug-and-play and hot swapping, which means that your computer will usually recognize such a device whenever you plug it into the appropriate port. When you use a USB device for the first time, your computer will prompt you to install any software the device needs. After doing this, you can disconnect and reconnect the device at any time. Parallel port devices are not plug-and-play. Refer to the device documentation for detailed information and installation instructions. Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device 27 28 Getting Started Windows Basics Read this chapter to get basic information on how to: s s s s s 3 Work on the Windows desktop Manage files and folders Work with documents Use shortcuts Move data from your old computer to your new computer HelpSpot For more information on using Windows, double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop. 29 About the Windows environment After your computer starts, the first screen you see is the Windows desktop. The desktop is like the top of a real desk. Think of the desktop as your personalized work space where you open programs and perform other tasks. Your desktop may be different from the example shown below, depending on how your computer is set up. 30 Windows Basics Desktop items Icons are graphic representations of objects on the desktop that you select and open, such as a drive, folder, file, or program. Buttons are graphic representations of controls that you use to open windows or apply changes. Desktop icons, buttons, and elements Description The My Computer icon provides access to drives and other computer controls. Double-click the My Computer icon to view the drives and folders on your computer. My Documents is a folder where you store your personal files. You can create other folders to save files in, but My Documents is easy to find because it is on the desktop. Double-click My Documents to view your personal files and folders. The Recycle Bin is where files, folders, and programs that you discarded are stored. You must empty the Recycle Bin to permanently delete them from your computer. For instructions on how to use the Recycle Bin, see "Deleting files and folders" on page 41. Microsoft Internet Explorer is a program called a browser that lets you view Web sites and Web pages on the Internet. Double-click this icon to open the browser. For instructions on how to access the Internet, see "Learning about the Internet" on page 62. The Gateway.net and America Online Included icons let you connect to the Gateway.net or America Online ISP (Internet Service Provider). Double-click either the Gateway.net or America Online Included icon to dial one of the services. For instructions on how to set up an ISP, see "Setting up an Internet account" on page 63. About the Windows environment 31 Desktop icons, buttons, and elements Description Gateway has provided an easily accessible interactive guide called HelpSpot for use with Windows Me. This guide is designed to provide help information and let you quickly discover and use the features of your computer. Double-click the HelpSpot icon to begin. The Start button provides access to programs, files, help for Windows and other programs, and computer tools and utilities. Click the Start button, then open a file or program by clicking (selecting) an item on the menu that opens. The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of the screen containing the Start button on the left and a clock on the right. Other buttons on the taskbar represent programs that are running. Click a program's button on the taskbar to activate the program's window. 32 Windows Basics Window items When you double-click the icon for a drive, folder, files, or program, a window opens on the desktop. This example shows the Local Disk (C:) window, which opens after double-clicking the Local Disk (C:) icon in the My Computer window. Title bar Menu bar Close button Maximize button Minimize button About the Windows environment 33 Every program window looks a little different because each has its own menus, icons, and controls. Most windows include these items: Window item Description The title bar is the horizontal bar at the top of a window that shows the name of the program. Clicking the minimize button reduces the active window to a button on the taskbar. Clicking the program button in the taskbar opens the window again. Clicking the maximize button expands the active window to fit the entire screen. Clicking the maximize button again restores the window to its former size. Clicking the close button closes the active window or program. Clicking an item on the menu bar starts an action such as Print or Save. 34 Windows Basics Using the Start menu You can start programs, open files, customize your system, get help, search for files and folders, and more using the Start menu. To open the Start menu: s Click the Start button on the lower left of the Windows desktop. The Start menu opens showing you the first level of menu items. When you move the pointer over any menu item that has an arrow next to it, another menu, or submenu, opens and reveals related files, programs, or commands. Click a file or program to open it. Using the Start menu 35 Working with files and folders You can organize your files and programs to suit your preferences much like you would store information in a file cabinet. You can store these files in folders and copy, move, and delete the information just as you would reorganize and throw away information in a file cabinet. HelpSpot For more information on working with files and folders, double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop. About drives Drives are like file cabinets because they hold files and folders. A computer almost always has more than one drive. Each drive has a letter, usually Local Disk (C:) for the hard drive and 3½ Floppy (A:) for the diskette drive. You may also have more drives such as a CD/DVD drive. To view the drives on your computer: s Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. Drives 36 Windows Basics To see the files and folders on a drive: s Double-click the drive icon. If you do not see the contents of a drive after you double-click its icon, click View the entire contents of this drive. Working with files and folders 37 About folders and files Folders are much like the folders in a file cabinet. They contain files and other folders. Files are much like paper documents--letters, spreadsheets, and pictures--that you keep on your computer. In fact, all information on a computer is stored in files. Folders Files To create a folder: 1 2 Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop. The My Computer window opens. Double-click the drive or folder, for example 3½ Floppy (A:) or Local Disk (C:), where you want to put the new folder. The drive or folder window opens. If you do not see the contents of the drive or folder, click View the entire contents of [this drive or this folder]. 3 4 Select File, then New, then Folder. The new folder is created. Type a name for the folder, then press ENTER. The new folder name appears under the folder. 38 Windows Basics Copying and moving files and folders The skills you need to copy and move files are copying, cutting, and pasting. When you copy and paste a selection, you place a copy of the file you selected on the Windows clipboard, which stores it. Then, when you decide what folder you want the copy to go in (the destination folder), you paste it there. When you cut and paste a selection, you remove the file from its folder and place the file on the Windows clipboard. When you decide where you want the file to go, you paste it there. Important The clipboard stores whatever you cut or copy until you cut or copy again. Then the clipboard contains the new information only. Therefore, you can paste copies of a file into more than one place, but as soon as you copy or cut a file again, the old file is deleted from the clipboard. To copy a file or folder to another folder: 1 2 3 4 5 Right-click the file or folder that you want to copy. A menu opens on the desktop. Select Copy from the menu. Open the destination folder. With the pointer inside the destination folder, press the right touchpad button. Select Paste. A copy of the file or folder appears in the new location. Working with files and folders 39 To move a file or folder to another folder: 1 2 3 4 5 Right-click the file or folder that you want to move. A menu opens on the desktop. Select Cut from the menu. Open the destination folder. With the pointer inside the destination folder, press the right touchpad button. Select Paste. The file or folder you moved appears in its new location and is removed from its old location. 40 Windows Basics Deleting files and folders When you throw away paper files and folders, you take them from the file cabinet and put them in a trash can. Eventually the trash can is emptied. In Windows, you throw away files and folders by first moving them to the Windows trash can, the Recycle Bin, where they remain until you decide to empty the bin. You can recover any file in the Recycle Bin as long as the bin has not been emptied. To delete files or folders: 1 2 In My Computer or Windows Explorer, select the files or folders that you want to delete. For instructions on how to select multiple files and folders, see "Shortcuts" on page 54. Select File, then select Delete. Windows moves the files and folders to the Recycle Bin. To recover files or folders from the Recycle Bin: 1 2 3 Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window opens listing the files and folders you have thrown away since you last emptied it. Select the files or folders that you want to restore. For instructions on how to select multiple files and folders, see "Shortcuts" on page 54. Click File, then Restore. Windows returns the deleted files and folders to their original locations. If the Recycle Bin was emptied before you decided that you want to restore a file, use Gateway GoBack (if available on your notebook). Working with files and folders 41 To empty the Recycle Bin: Caution Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently erases any files or folders in the bin. These files cannot be restored. 1 2 3 Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. The Recycle Bin window opens. Select File, then select Empty Recycle Bin. Windows asks you if you are sure that you want to empty the bin. Click Yes. Windows permanently deletes all the files in the Recycle Bin. 42 Windows Basics Browsing for files and folders A file or folder that you need is rarely right on top of your Windows desktop. It is usually on a drive inside a folder that may be inside yet another folder, and so on. Windows drives, folders, and files are organized in the same way as a real file cabinet in that they may have many levels (usually many more levels than a file cabinet, in fact). So you usually will have to search through levels of folders to find the file or folder that you need. This is called browsing. To browse for a file: 1 2 Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop. Double-click the drive or folder that you think contains the file or folder that you want to find. 3 Continue double-clicking folders and their subfolders until you find the file or folder you want. (If you do not see the contents of a folder, click View the entire contents of this folder.) Working with files and folders 43 Searching for files If you are looking for a particular file or folder or a set of files or folders that have characteristics in common, but you do not remember where they are stored on your hard drive, you can use the Search utility in Windows Me or Windows 2000, or the Find utility in Windows 98 to search by: s s s s s s Name or part of a name Creation date Modification date File type Text contained in the file Time period in which it was created or modified You can also combine search criteria to refine searches. Files and folders found using these utilities can be opened, copied, cut, renamed, or deleted directly from the list in the results window. 44 Windows Basics