Velocity Edge LX560 User manual

Dear Velocity Micro customer,

Thank you for choosing Velocity Micro to build your computer system.

We appreciate that this decision represents a signiﬁ cant investment of

your time and resources. This book will help you to make the most of

your investment with helpful tips for maximizing performance, trouble-

shooting, and upgrading.

Your computer has been handcrafted from the best performance com-

ponents available. Before we sent you this PC, we spent hours carefully

wiring, tuning, and testing it to meet our exacting standards.

This guide, you will ﬁ nd, contains important information on how to best

set up your new computer system, how to properly maintain it to pre-

serve its longevity, and how to troubleshoot problems should they arise.

We look forward to hearing from you over the course of your Velocity

Micro PC ownership. Please contact us with questions, comments, sug-

gestions, and ideas. We love hearing your feedback.

Good luck with your system. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

The team at Velocity Micro.

Note on Shipping

By the time you open this package, your computer has already been

through the most traumatic experience of its life: shipping. Velocity Micro

has developed packaging materials to protect your computer during ship-

ping. Retain all boxes and packaging materials. If you should ever need

to send your PC back to Velocity Micro for upgrades or repairs, you will

need to use these materials.

Carefully inspect your system for any shipping damage. Report any ship-

ping damages to Velocity Micro within 5 days of receiving your system.

Reports of shipping damage received after 5 days will not be honored.

2

Velocity Micro, Inc.

7510 Whitepine Rd.

Richmond, VA 23237

(800)303-7866

www.velocitymicro.com

Contents

Contacting Velocity Micro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Planning Your Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Minimizing Physical Strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Protecting Against Power Surges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Connecting Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Turning On Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Setting Up Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Chapter 2 Maintaining Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Protecting Against Viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Freeing Up Hard Drive Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Loading Programs and Files Faster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Uninstalling Unused Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Working with Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Troubleshooting Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Updating Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Preventing Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Upgrading Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Cleaning Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Taking Care of Your Notebook Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Chapter 3 Restoring Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Chapter 5 Finding Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Velocity Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Windows Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Hardware Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Contacting Vendors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Chapter 6 Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

3

4www.velocitymicro.com

Contacting Velocity Micro

Velocity Micro offers the following contact options:

VelocityCare

To receive Velocity Micro’s superior US-based technical

support, please refer to the warranty sticker located on the

back or bottom of your PC, or attached to your invoice for your

warranty number, which the support technician will need in

order to assist you.

To ﬁ nd the exact model and manufacturer of hardware

components you have, check your system’s invoice. If you

cannot ﬁ nd this information send a request to

vmsupport@velocitymicro.com and include your invoice

number.

Support hub: http://www.velocitymicro.com/resources

Phone: (800) 303-7866, option 5

Email: vmsupport@velocitymicro.com

Live Chat

Velocity Micro Live Chat is available at our website and

provides you with an easy way to communicate with Velocity

Micro sales and support.

General Contact Information:

Phone (800)303-7866

Fax (804)897-4777

http://www.velocitymicro.com

www.velocitymicro.com 5

Chapter 1

Setting Up Your System

As you prepare to set up your Velocity Micro computer, you

will need to take into account several factors: where to place

your system, how to connect it, the safest way to work on your

system, and how to set up your system for a lifetime of easy

use.

Planning Your Workspace

Carefully planning your system’s workspace can save headaches

in the future. Below are a few tips for optimal placement:

Leave at least six inches of space in between the back and

sides of your system and any walls or enclosures. Doing this

will give hot air room to circulate and cool down. Avoid placing

your computer inside a desk’s built-in enclosure. These spaces

trap heat and increase noise. If you purchased a subwoofer,

place it on the ﬂoor and have one side touching a wall. This

this will minimize desktop vibrations and give greater bass

response.

Minimizing Physical Strain

Set up properly, your work area should help minimize the

physical stress that may occur from prolonged computer use.

Try out the tips below to create an ergonomic work area.

• Place your monitor level with your eyes. You shouldn’t

have to bend your neck to view the screen. Adjust the

contrast and brightness of your monitor to be easier on

your eyes. Your monitor’s manual can help you with this

task.

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• Sit up straight in your desk chair. When you type, your

wrists should be level with the keyboard. You should be

able to type comfortably without bending your wrists.

• Look away from the monitor every few minutes. This will

reduce the eyestrain and tension headaches that can

result from prolonged system use.

Protecting Against Power Surges

For additional power protection, you may purchase an

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). A UPS works like a surge

protector but can keep your system powered during a power

outage, giving you with enough time to save your work and

safely shut down your system. You may purchase a surge

protector or UPS from Velocity Micro.

Storing Manuals and CDs

Your system ships with all the manuals for its software and

hardware products, as well as a number of important disks.

Place all manuals and disks (including the System Restore

disk, if included with your system) in a safe, easily accessible

location. Should you require technical support in the future,

these manuals and disks will greatly assist the technician

working with you and make it much easier to ﬁ x your system.

Your Velocity Micro system warranty does

not cover damage due to lightning strikes

or power surges. For this reason, connect all

your power cords (monitor, system, speakers),

telephone cables (modem, phone line, DSL) and

cable modem lines to a surge protector. The

minimal cost of a surge protector will be well worth

it when your system lives through a power surge.

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Chapter 1

Setting Up Your System

Getting Started

Connecting Devices

This guide covers the basics in connecting devices to your PC.

For more advanced set up of items like digital video or digital

audio hardware, please consult the included manuals for

assistance.

1. Connect your keyboard and mouse to their intended ports

(USB or PS/2) as demonstrated in this illustration.

Never insert or remove a PS/2 connection when

your system is powered on.

Input Connections

PS/2 Ports USB Ports

Keyboard

(purple)

Mouse

(green)

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Ethernet Port & Cable Modem Ports &

Phone Cable

Internet Connections

2. Connect your monitor to its appropriate port. CRT monitors

use the analog VGA port; LCD displays may use the digital

DVI port. To connect an analog VGA monitor to a digital DVI

port, use the included adapter.

3. Connect your monitor’s power cable to a surge protector or

UPS.

4. For broadband Internet access (cable or DSL) or connection

to a T1 or Ethernet network, connect an Ethernet cable

to the Ethernet port on your system. For dial-up Internet

access, connect phone and modem cables to their

appropriate ports.

Video Connections

Analog VGA Port Digital DVI Port

(Blue) (White)

www.velocitymicro.com 9

Chapter 1

Setting Up Your System

5. Connect speakers by connecting the cables to the

appropriate ports. Pay attention to the color-coding scheme

(on the back of your PC and on each of the accessories’

cords) to match them up properly.

6. Connect your power cable to the computer’s power supply.

Connect the other end to the surge protector or UPS.

7. Set the switch on the surge protector or UPS to “|” or the

number 1 position.

Speaker Port & Cable

Power Supply Port & Cable

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8. Set the power supply switch (located on the rear of the

chassis) to “|” or the number 1 position.

Turning On Your PC

9. Press the power button on the front of your monitor.

10. Press the power button on the front of your computer’s

case. On LX cases, this button will be located behind the

door.

11. Your computer should boot up. If it does not, double-check

that all cables are properly connected and that all surge

protectors and power supplies have been turned on.

Setting Up Your Operating System

12. Upon startup, Microsoft® Windows® may present you with

the license agreement. After accepting, you will be directed

to enter the product key.

Power Supply Switch

Monitor Power Button

www.velocitymicro.com 11

13. The product key is located either on the inside door

covering your drive bays (on LX cases) or on the rear

of your case. On notebooks, the key is located on the

underside of the system. Once you have entered the

product key, Windows will begin its setup routine. Follow all

prompts and dialog boxes to complete the setup process.

Note that the product key does not contain the numerals 0, 1, or 5.

When you login to Windows for the ﬁ rst time, you will see the

Windows activation screen.

14. Activate Windows. You will have thirty (30) days to activate

Windows. The easiest activation method is over the

Internet.

To activate over a broadband (cable or DSL) connection:

1. Bypass the activation screen.

Chapter 1

Setting Up Your System

An active Internet connection will make the

next step easier.

12 www.velocitymicro.com

2. Setup your Internet connection and connect

to the Internet.

3. Reboot the PC.

To activate over a dial-up (modem) connection:

1. Bypass the activation screen.

2. Setup your Internet connection.

3. Connect to the Internet.

4. Double-click the key icon located in the

bottom-right-hand corner of the screen.

You can also activate Windows over the phone. You may

bypass the activation screen for 30 days before Windows will

require you to activate it.

If you purchased Microsoft Ofﬁ ce, you’ll need to activate

it separately. The process is similar to activating

Windows. Consult the accompanying manual for further

instructions.

Windows must be activated in 30 days or the

system will not work.

www.velocitymicro.com 13

Chapter 2

Maintaining Your System

This chapter contains tips on maintenance you should perform

regularly to keep your system running optimally.

Maintaining Optimal Performance

Protecting Against Viruses

Computer viruses are malicious programs that cause system

damage and reproduce themselves to spread from one

computer to another. Viruses, worms, and Trojans are threats

to any stable computing environment. There are thousands

of computer viruses in circulation. These simple tips can help

your system stay clear of most viruses.

• Make sure you have antivirus protection and anti-spyware

software. These can be purchased from Velocity Micro.

Reliable versions may also be found online.

The information in this document has been

reviewed and is believed to be accurate. However,

neither Velocity Micro nor its afﬁ liates assume any

responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, or omissions

that may be contained herein. In no event will

Velocity Micro or its afﬁ liates be liable for direct,

indirect, special, incidental, or consequential

damages resulting from any defect or omissions in

this document, even if advised of the possibility of

such damages.

14 www.velocitymicro.com

• Backup your data regularly to external media such as a

writeable CD or DVD. Velocity Micro is not responsible

for lost data.

• Never download an attached ﬁ le you receive in e-mail

from someone you don’t know.

• If you do know the sender but are not expecting an

attachment, do not open it. Many worms spread by

sending email to every listing in an address book.

• Avoid downloading ﬁ les with .exe, .pif, .scr, .vbs, .js, .cpl,

.com, or .bat at the end of the name. Files with these

endings are meant to execute programs; they could

potentially contain viruses.

• Be especially aware of downloading ﬁ les with a

combination of .gif, .bmp, or .jpg in combination with the

above extensions.

• Run antivirus and anti-spyware software scans regularly

(at least once a week).

• Update your antivirus program with the current deﬁ nition

so it can clean the latest viruses. New viruses appear

almost every day, so staying up to date is important.

Your warranty does not cover data loss due to

equipment failure or software errors. Regularly

back up any ﬁ les to a removable storage device

to keep data safe.

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Freeing Up Hard Drive Space

Disk Cleanup is a utility that erases ﬁles from certain folders

where you are sure to have some wasted space. Freeing up

hard drive space will improve your system’s performance by

allowing the hard drive to access your data and program ﬁles

more quickly.

1. To begin Disk Cleanup, select: Start > All Programs

> Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup The

program will prompt you to specify a drive on which to

operate (usually C:) The Disk Cleanup window will appear.

2. Place a check mark next to the location(s) that you want

to clean up. All of these locations contain temporary ﬁles

that are not vital to your system; thus, they are usually

safe to erase. To see which ﬁles are in the location(s)

you’ve checked, select View Files.

3. After you are sure of the ﬁles to delete, select OK. Disk

Cleanup will erase the ﬁles in the locations you selected.

The Disk Cleanup window.

Chapter 2

Maintaining Your System

16 www.velocitymicro.com

Loading Programs and Files Faster

As you use your system, Windows will scatter (“fragment”) bits

of ﬁ les over different locations in the hard drive. Using Disk

Defragmenter will rearrange the hard drive so that each ﬁ le

resides next to its other pieces, making it easier and faster

to access ﬁ les. This process can take from a few minutes to

a few hours, depending on how cluttered your system is with

scattered bits of ﬁ les. Velocity Micro recommends running Disk

Defragmenter once a week for optimal system performance.

Use Disk Defragmenter in the following manner:

1. Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > System

Tools > Disk Defragmenter. The Disk Defragmenter

window will appear.

2. Select the drive you wish to defragment (usually C:).

3. Select the Defragment button to begin defragmentation.

Before using Disk Defragmenter, shut down

all running programs. Disk Defragmenter

cannot complete if programs are accessing

the hard drive.

The Disk Defragmenter window.

www.velocitymicro.com 17

Uninstalling Unused Programs

During the life of your system, your hard drive will ﬁll up with

programs, games, and other large ﬁles. In addition to causing

possible system instability, these unused ﬁles make it more

difﬁcult for your hard drive to access the programs you want to

use. To maintain the health of your system, you should remove

old or unwanted programs and ﬁles on a regular basis.

The Control Panel contains a record of all the programs

installed on your hard drive. To remove an application,

uninstall it using the Control Panel:

1. Select Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.

3. Select the program you wish to uninstall.

4. Select the program’s Change/Remove button.

5. Follow any prompts given by the program to remove it

from the hard drive.

Chapter 2

Maintaining Your System

The Add/Remove Programs dialog box.

18 www.velocitymicro.com

Working with Drivers

A driver is a piece of software that enables your computer to

communicate with a peripheral device.

When you purchase a peripheral (such as a printer or

scanner), Windows generally already has the proper drivers.

At the very least, Windows will recognize that it needs a

driver and will prompt you to put in the disk that came with the

product.

Troubleshooting Drivers

Velocity Micro loads your system with the most recent drivers

for all components, as well including them on a disk that comes

with your PC.

There are times, especially when a device is malfunctioning,

that it becomes necessary to reinstall a driver. The Device

Manager provides a central location where you can check

the status of drivers, update, replace, or reinstall them, and

even return to a previous driver version. To access the Device

Manager, follow this procedure:

www.velocitymicro.com 19

1. Start>My Computer>Properties>Hardware>Device

Manager.

2. A yellow exclamation point (or question mark) next to

any hardware device indicates a missing or problematic

driver. To update a driver, ﬁnd the device that needs

troubleshooting, right-click on its entry in the list, and

select Update Driver. Follow the on screen instructions

to complete driver installation.

Chapter 2

Maintaining Your System

The Device Manager window.

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Updating Drivers

Hardware manufacturers update product drivers over time. New

drivers may add features or improve compatibility. Updating

drivers can also improve performance.

Obtain driver updates by visiting the manufacturer’s website

and looking for the “Drivers,” “Downloads,” or “Support”

section. Follow the posted guidelines for installing the new

drivers.

Flashing the BIOS

Flashing your motherboard’s BIOS is not recommended and

can have serious consequences. Flashing the BIOS may void

your warranty.

Find more guides, advice, and support

online at: www.velocitymicro.com/resources

Velocity Micro does not support users ﬂ ashing

the motherboard’s BIOS

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Velocity Edge LX560 User manual

Velocity Edge LX560 User manual

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