User manual GATEWAY SOLO 5300

Contents 1 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Left Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Right Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2 Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Switching user accounts in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecting to an Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Broadband Internet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 18 19 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 31 32 3 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HelpSpot Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 36 37 38 4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Identifying Window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 41 42 43 i Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Using the Windows XP, Windows Me, or Windows 2000 Search utility . . . . . .53 Using the Windows 98 Find utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Using the CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Adjusting the volume in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Adjusting the volume in Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows 98 . . . . . . . .80 Listening to CDs in Windows XP, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . .82 Listening to CDs in Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 ii Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Viewing the display on a television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 102 104 104 8 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing a second battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing power settings in Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 107 108 109 110 112 112 112 113 114 119 121 9 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 124 124 125 10 Customizing Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the touchpad settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 128 130 132 134 137 139 11 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Changing bay modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 iii Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Replacing the main hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152 Replacing the Mini PCI card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 12 Using the Port Replicator and Docking Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Checking out the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 Checking out the docking station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 Connecting to the docking station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Adjusting audio settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Installing a PCI card in the docking station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174 13 Networking Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 Using a network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Introducing the Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Components of a Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 Wired connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 Wireless Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Assessing your connection needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 Comparing data transfer speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 Network shopping list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 HPNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 Wireless Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 iv 14 Moving from Your Old Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Transferring software and hardware from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 195 196 197 198 199 15 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 203 207 209 209 210 211 213 215 216 217 217 218 218 218 16 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling device drivers in Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling device drivers in Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Updating device drivers in Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP . . . Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 222 223 234 235 236 236 237 238 17 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 v Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247 Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248 Error-checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249 File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 ScanDisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263 Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264 Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264 Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265 Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266 Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266 Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267 A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 vi Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 Tips & Tricks To access the contents of this guide while you are traveling, download an electronic copy from www.gateway.com/support/manlib/. 1 www.gateway.com 1 Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 Front Release latch Power indicator Battery charge indicator Component Release latch Power indicator 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 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. Flashing green light accompanied by beeping indicates the battery charge is low. No light indicates that the notebook is off. Battery charge indicator Indicates the battery status: s s s s Green light indicates that the battery is fully charged and AC power is connected. Orange light indicates that the battery is charging. Red light indicates that the battery is low. No light indicates that the system is running on the battery because the AC adapter is either not connected or is not providing power. 2 www.gateway.com Left Side Left Side Kensington lock slot Ventilation fan (do not block) Modem jack Speaker jack Line in jack Microphone jack PC Card slots Ethernet jack PC Card eject buttons Component KensingtonTM lock slot Icon Description Secure your computer to an object by connecting a Kensington cable lock to this slot. 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 an external audio input source (such as a stereo) into this jack so that you can record sound on your notebook or play sound through the notebook speakers. Plug external speakers or headphones into this jack. Ventilation fan Microphone jack Line in jack Speaker jack Modem jack (optional) Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information, see "Connecting the modem" on page 30. Insert Type I, II, or III PC Cards or Zoom Video cards into these slots. For more information, see "Adding PC Cards" on page 142. PC Card slots www.gateway.com 3 Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 Component PC Card eject buttons Icon Description Press one of the eject buttons to remove a PC Card from a PC Card slot. For more information, see "Adding PC Cards" on page 142. Plug an Ethernet 10/100 network cable into this jack. For more information, see "Connecting to an Ethernet network" on page 31. Ethernet jack (optional) 4 www.gateway.com Right Side Right Side Module bay Eject button Component Module bay Description Use this bay for a second battery, or a CD, CD-RW, DVD, diskette, LS-120, or second hard drive. For more information, see "Changing bay modules" on page 144. Press the eject button to open the module tray. Eject button www.gateway.com 5 Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 Back PS/2 port Parallel port TV out jack Docking port Serial port USB port Monitor port Power connector Component PS/2 port Icon Description Plug a PS/2 (Personal System/2) device (such as a keyboard or mouse) into this port. Important! You will not be able to use your touchpad while a mouse is plugged into this port. ® Parallel port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port. TV out jack Plug one end of a standard RCA cable into this jack and the other end of the cable into the jack on a TV or VCR so that you can view your computer screen on a TV. For more information, see "Viewing the display on a television" on page 96. Connect an optional port replicator or docking station to this port. Warning! Power is passed through this connection. This docking connection is UL certified for use only with Solo 5300 docking station devices. Docking port Serial port Plug a serial device (such as a digital camera) into this port. Plug an external (VGA) monitor into this port. Monitor port 6 www.gateway.com Back Component USB port Icon Description Plug a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device (such as a USB IomegaTM ZipTM drive, scanner, or camera) into this port. Plug the AC power adapter cable into this connector. Power connector www.gateway.com 7 Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 Bottom Microsoft label Module bay Module bay latch Battery latch Main battery Ventilation fan System label Hard drive Memory bay Component Microsoft label Module bay Icon Description Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label includes the product key code for your operating system. Use this bay for a second battery, or a CD, CD-RW, DVD, diskette, LS-120, or second hard drive. For more information, see "Changing bay modules" on page 144. Slide to release the module. Slide to release the battery. Insert the main battery into this bay. For more information, see "Changing batteries" on page 109. The hard drive is stored here. For more information, see "Replacing the main hard drive" on page 152. Module bay latch Battery latch Main battery bay Hard drive 8 www.gateway.com Bottom Component Memory bay Icon Description Install as many as two SO-DIMM memory modules into the slots in this bay. For more information, see "Installing memory" on page 148. Includes the product model number and serial number. For more information, see "Identifying your model" on page 11. Helps cool system components. Do not block. System label Ventilation fan www.gateway.com 9 Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 Keyboard area Power button Status indicators Keyboard Touchpad Speaker Microphone Component Power button Status indicators Keyboard Touchpad Speakers Microphone Description Press to turn the power on or off. For more information on configuring the power button mode, see "Changing power settings" on page 114. See "Status indicators" on page 23 for more information. See "Using the keyboard" on page 24 for more information. See "Using the EZ Pad touchpad" on page 28 for more information. Provide audio output. Speakers are disabled while headphones are connected. Record audio through this microphone. The built-in microphone is disabled while an external microphone is connected. 10 www.gateway.com Identifying your model Identifying your model The label on the bottom of your computer contains information that identifies your notebook model. Gateway Technical Support will need this information if you call for assistance. Important The label shown below is for informational purposes only. Label information varies by model. Revision code and display type/ processor size Gateway model number Gateway serial number 00.0X/000XXX X 0.0/XX Gateway part number www.gateway.com 11 Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 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. Docking stations and port replicators Although you can attach external devices directly to your notebook, a docking station or port replicator lets you make all of those connections at once. When you travel with your notebook, you merely disconnect from the docking station or port replicator instead of unplugging all the external devices. A docking station or port replicator also provides additional ports and other expansion features not included with your notebook. External devices You can attach external devices such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, or monitor to your notebook, docking station, or port replicator. 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. 12 www.gateway.com Accessories Printers You can attach many types of printers 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. www.gateway.com 13 Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300 14 www.gateway.com 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 an Ethernet network How to install peripheral devices www.gateway.com 15 Chapter 2: Getting Started 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. Allow 24 hours for the battery to fully charge. 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 more information, see "Recalibrating the battery" on page 108. To connect the AC adapter: 1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter. 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. 16 www.gateway.com Connecting the AC adapter 2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook's power connector. 3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet. The battery charge indicator turns on. If the battery charge indicator does not turn on, disconnect the adapter from your notebook and repeat Step 2. 4 5 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn the notebook off and leave the notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours. If the battery meters do not show a full charge after 24 hours, contact Gateway 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. www.gateway.com 17 Chapter 2: Getting Started 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 peripheral devices by connecting them to a surge protector, which absorbs voltage surges and prevents 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. 18 www.gateway.com Starting your notebook 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. A 1 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 settings" on page 114. 3 If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions to set up your computer. Waking up your notebook When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it enters a power-saving mode called Standby. While in Standby, the power indicator flashes. If your notebook is in Standby mode, "wake" it up by pressing the power button. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see "Managing Power" on page 105. www.gateway.com 19 Chapter 2: Getting Started Turning off your notebook To turn off your notebook: s In Windows XP, click Start, then click Turn Off Computer, then click Turn Off. - OR In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click Start, then select Shut Down. In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, select Shut Down, then click OK. If for some reason you cannot use the Turn Off Computer or Shut Down option in Windows to shut down your notebook, press and hold the power button for about five seconds. 20 www.gateway.com Switching user accounts in Windows XP Switching user accounts in Windows XP When you first turn on your notebook, you have the option to add different user accounts. These user accounts can be customized for each person that uses the notebook. You can add, delete, or modify existing user accounts. You can also switch (change) user accounts without turning off your notebook. Help and Support For more information about adding, deleting, and modifying your user accounts, click Start, then select Help and Support. To add, delete, or modify user accounts in Windows XP: 1 2 Click Start, select Control Panel, then double-click User Accounts. The User Accounts window opens. Follow the on-screen prompts to add, delete, or modify a user account. www.gateway.com 21 Chapter 2: Getting Started To switch user accounts in Windows XP: 1 Click Start, then select Log Off. The Log Off Windows dialog box opens. 2 3 Click Switch User to switch between your user accounts. The Windows logon screen opens. Select the user account that you want to activate. When you switch between users, any programs that were running for the previous user continue to run. 22 www.gateway.com Status indicators Status indicators A 1 Hard drive Optical disc drive Diskette drive Caps lock Scroll lock Pad lock Indicator Hard drive Optical disc drive Icon Description Turns on when the hard drive is in use. Turns on when the CD/DVD drive or LS-120 drive is in use. Diskette drive Turns on when the standard 1.44 MB diskette drive is in use. Turns on when Caps Lock is activated. Caps Lock Pad Lock 1 Scroll Lock Turns on when the embedded numeric keypad is activated. Turns on when Scroll Lock is activated. www.gateway.com 23 Chapter 2: Getting Started 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/System keys Volume keys/Navigation keys FN key Windows key Numeric keypad Application key Arrow keys/ Brightness controls 24 www.gateway.com Using the keyboard Keys Keys Function keys Icon Description Press these keys labeled F1 to F12 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. System keys Volume keys Navigation keys Press these green-colored keys in combination with the FN key to perform specific actions. Press these keys to increase or decrease the volume or mute the sound. Press these keys to move the cursor to the beginning of a line, to the end of a line, up the page, down the page, to the beginning of a document, or to the end of a document. Press the FN key in combination with a green-colored system key (such as STANDBY, PAUSE, or STATUS) to perform a specific action. Press to open the Windows Start menu. This key can also be used in combination with other keys to open utilities like F (Search utility), R (Run utility), and E (Explorer utility). Use these keys to type numbers when the numeric keypad is turned on. Press FN+PAD LOCK 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. FN key Windows key Numeric keypad Application key Arrow keys/ Brightness controls www.gateway.com 25 Chapter 2: Getting Started System key combinations When you press an FN key and a system key at the same time, the notebook performs the action identified by the green text or icon on the key. L Press FN and this function key... To... Display the power status box in the upper left corner of your screen. The box shows the battery charge level, the BIOS version, and whether the AC adapter is being used. Press the key combination again to close this box. Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external monitor, or both displays at the same time. A monitor must be plugged into the monitor port on the notebook, port replicator, or docking station. Enter Standby mode. Press the power button to leave Standby mode. Turn on Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. Press this key combination again to turn off Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status indicator appears while this function is turned on. 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 execution of a DOS program. (This function is only available in some programs.) Stop the currently running DOS program. (This function is only available in some programs.) Increase the brightness of the display. Decrease the brightness of the display. 26 www.gateway.com Using the keyboard Press FN and this function key... To... Mute the sound. Press the key combination again to restore the sound. Increase volume. Decrease volume. www.gateway.com 27 Chapter 2: Getting Started 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. 28 www.gateway.com Using the EZ Pad touchpad 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 and need to move the pointer farther, lift your finger, move it to the middle of the touchpad, then continue moving your finger. Position the pointer over the object. Press the left button below the touchpad once. This action is called clicking. Select an object on the screen. 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. Move an object on the screen. 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. www.gateway.com 29 Chapter 2: Getting Started Connecting the modem If your notebook has a modem jack, the notebook has a built-in V.90 56K modem. To connect the modem: 1 Insert one end of the modem cable into the modem jack side of the notebook. on the left 2 3 Insert the other end of the modem 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. 30 www.gateway.com Connecting to an Ethernet network Connecting to an Ethernet 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 left side 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. Broadband Internet connections You can use your computer's Ethernet jack for more than just networking. Many broadband Internet connections, such as cable modems and DSL modems, connect to your computer's Ethernet jack. For more information, see "Using the Internet" on page 63 and "Networking Your Notebook" on page 179. www.gateway.com 31 Chapter 2: Getting Started Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device Your computer has one or more of the following ports: Universal Serial Bus (USB), serial, 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 5300" 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 and serial port devices are not plug-and-play. Refer to the device documentation for detailed information and installation instructions. 32 www.gateway.com Getting Help s s s 3 This chapter tells you about additional information resources available to help you use your computer, including: HelpSpotTM Online help Gateway Web site To access the contents of this guide while you are traveling, download an electronic copy from www.gateway.com/support/manlib/. Tips & Tricks www.gateway.com 33 Chapter 3: Getting Help HelpSpot Your computer may include HelpSpot, an easily accessible collection of Help information, troubleshooters, instructional videos, and automated support. Use HelpSpot to answer questions about Windows and to help you quickly discover and use the many features of your Gateway computer. To start HelpSpot: s Click Start, then select Help and Support. HelpSpot opens. If this is the first time you have started HelpSpot on your computer, you may experience a brief wait while HelpSpot builds the help database, then HelpSpot will display an introductory video. 34 www.gateway.com HelpSpot You can find help information by clicking a link, performing a search, or browsing the index. To learn about using your Gateway computer, your mouse, and other topics, click the Getting Started link on the HelpSpot main page. www.gateway.com 35 Chapter 3: Getting Help HelpSpot Videos HelpSpot contains several short videos to help introduce you to new concepts or show you how to perform various tasks. To play a HelpSpot video: s To watch a video in HelpSpot, click Video Tutorials on the HelpSpot home page, then click a video title. The video plays. 36 www.gateway.com Online help Online help Many programs provide information online so you can research a topic or learn how to perform a task while you are using the program. Most online help information can be accessed by selecting a topic from a Help menu or by clicking a Help button. You can search for information by viewing the help contents, checking the index, searching for a topic or keyword, or browsing through the online help. www.gateway.com 37 Chapter 3: Getting Help Gateway Web site Gateway provides a variety of information on its Web site to help you use your computer. Visit the Gateway Web site at www.gateway.com for: