TABLE OF CONTENTS Important Information Computer Basics 4 5 Safety and Comfort............................................................................................. 5 Safety Precautions......................................................................................... 5 Computer Environment ....................................................................... 5 Cables ............................................................................................. 5 Cleaning your Computer .................................................................... 5 Health Precautions........................................................................................ 5 Getting to Know your Computer......................................................................... 6 The Keyboard and Mouse ............................................................................. 6 Cordless Devices ............................................................................... Mouse or Touchpad ........................................................................... Keyboard ......................................................................................... Multimedia Keys (on selected keyboards) ............................................. Your Computer's Drives................................................................................ 9 Memory Card Reader ........................................................................ 9 Optical Drives ................................................................................. 10 Battery Life ...................................................................................... 11 Replacing Batteries .......................................................................... 11 Battery Disposal .............................................................................. 11 USB (Universal Serial Bus) ................................................................ IEEE 1394 ..................................................................................... PC Cards (PCMCIA) ........................................................................ Legacy Ports ................................................................................... Sound connectors ............................................................................ TV-Out ........................................................................................... Communication Ports ....................................................................... Turning your Computer ON .............................................................. Turning your Computer OFF .............................................................. Forced Shutdown ............................................................................ Power Options ................................................................................ 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 Batteries (Notebooks).................................................................................. 10 Turning your Computer ON/OFF ............................................................... 13 Upgrading your Computer........................................................................... 14 Memory ......................................................................................... Storage .......................................................................................... Convergence .................................................................................. Warranty ....................................................................................... Recycling ........................................................................................ First steps on the Net........................................................................................ 16 Get Connected! .......................................................................................... 16 www.packardbell.com Ports and Connectors.................................................................................. 11 Quick Start & Troubleshooting Guide 6 7 7 8 Internet Service Provider ................................................................... 16 Connection Types ............................................................................ 16 Surf the Net!............................................................................................... 18 Internet Explorer Features ................................................................. 18 Outlook Express Features ................................................................. 18 Packard Bell Website ....................................................................... 20 Using Windows and Software ........................................................................... 21 Setup my PC............................................................................................... 21 Your Computer's Documentation ................................................................ 21 Your Software Library ................................................................................. 23 Packard Bell InfoCentre .................................................................... 21 Software Documentation .................................................................. 23 Where is my Software? .................................................................... 23 Playing Multimedia Files ............................................................................ 24 Volume Controls......................................................................................... 24 Adjusting the Volume ....................................................................... 25 Helpdesk 26 Safe Computing ................................................................................................ 26 Maintenance............................................................................................... 26 Packard Bell Master CD/DVD Creator ............................................... 26 Run Windows System Tools .............................................................. 27 Manage your HDD .......................................................................... 30 Protect your Computer against Viruses ............................................... Secure your Internet Connection ........................................................ Prevent Spyware Infections ............................................................... Use Windows Security Center ........................................................... How Do I Know when my Computer Is at Risk? ................................... 30 32 33 33 34 Security ...................................................................................................... 30 Updates ...................................................................................................... 34 Diagnose & Repair............................................................................................. 36 Top 5 Troubleshooting Cases ...................................................................... 36 Nothing Displays on the Screen ........................................................ The Screen Freezes when the Packard Bell Logo Displays ..................... The Screen Freezes when the Windows Logo Displays ......................... The Windows Desktop Displays, but the Operating System is not stable . The Screen Displays Applications, but They Crash or Run Erratically ...... Keyboard & Mouse / Touchpad ........................................................ Display .......................................................................................... Sound ............................................................................................ Internet ........................................................................................... Printer ............................................................................................ Adding Software and Hardware ....................................................... 37 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 50 51 Miscellaneous Troubleshooting ................................................................... 44 Packard Bell Snapsys ................................................................................... 52 Tracking Changes .......................................................................... 52 Hardware Diagnostic Tools ............................................................... 53 System Tools ................................................................................... 53 Options .......................................................................................... 54 Packard Bell Smart Restore.......................................................................... 54 Uninstalling and Reinstalling Software ................................................ 54 Resetting your Hardware Configuration .............................................. 55 Recovery .......................................................................................................... 55 Packard Bell Recovery Program ................................................................... 56 Starting the Recovery Program .......................................................... 56 Using the Recovery Program with Master DVD/CDs ............................. 59 Packard Bell Limited Warranty Regulatory Information Software License Index 61 66 69 70 IMPORTANT INFORMATION Thank you for purchasing a Packard Bell computer! This guide has been designed to introduce you to the features of your computer and assist in your computing experience. It will also help you maintain your computer and troubleshoot in case you encounter a problem. Packard Bell Master CD/DVD Creator Use Master CD/DVD Creator to copy/transfer your computer's recovery data to CDs or DVDs. No separate copies of the Windows discs and Microsoft utilities are provided. All the programs are included in your recovery data in a specific partition of your hard disk drive (see page 26 for details). Set up my PC To make it easy, Packard Bell has gathered all important setup steps in one application! Make sure you run Setup my PC to configure your Internet access, antivirus program, Identity card, etc. (see page 21 for details). Packard Bell InfoCentre To discover more about your computer, please make sure you check Packard Bell InfoCentre, the electronic user`s guide installed on your computer (see page 21 for details). Packard Bell Website Remember to visit www.packardbell.com often! Check out the Support section: it contains up-to-date information, help, drivers and downloads. Packard Bell Support Make sure you write down your computer serial number, date and place of purchase and model name on the cover of this guide. Also, save your proof of purchase and Warranty & Service Sheet. If you call us, please write down any error message causing the problem, and have the computer in front of you and switched on if possible. Having these items to hand when contacting us will ensure better and quicker service. Copyright Notice Packard Bell Quick Start & Troubleshooting Guide. Copyright © 2006 Packard Bell B.V. All Rights Reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, chemical, manual or otherwise, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose without prior written permission of Packard Bell B.V. Packard Bell B.V. specifically disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to this product and documentation. Updates to software and hardware components are made regularly. Therefore some of the instructions, specifications and pictures in this documentation may differ slightly from your particular situation. All items described in this guide are for illustration purposes only and may not apply to your particular situation. No legal rights or entitlements may be obtained from descriptions made in this manual. Packard Bell B.V. reserves the right to revise or make changes or improvements to this product or documentation at any time without obligation to notify any person of such revisions or improvements. In no event shall Packard Bell B.V. be liable for any consequential or incidental damages, including but not limited to loss of business profits or any other commercial damages, arising out of the use of this product. Disclaimer Trademark Microsoft, Outlook and Windows XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. FireWire is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. PS/2 is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Packard Bell is a registered trademark of Packard Bell B.V. All other company or product names are trademarks, regist ...