Acer TravelMate P648-M User manual

- 1

TravelMate P6 Series

User’s Manual

2 -

TravelMate P6 Series

Covers: P648-M / P648-MG / P648-V / P648-VG

This revision: February 2016

Sign up for an Acer ID and enjoy great benefits

1. Ensure you are connected to the Internet.

2. Open www.acer.com and select your country.

3. Click REGISTER A PRODUCT.

4. Sign up for an Acer ID or sign in if you already have an Acer ID.

Register your Acer product

After we receive your product registration, you will be sent a confirmation email with

important data. Keep this email in a safe place.

Manage your registered products

Once you have completed the registration process, you can log onto account.acer.com

using your Acer ID and password to see and manage all your registered products.

Note: It may take a few days for your information to be updated to the database.

Model number: _________________________________

Serial number: _________________________________

Date of purchase: ______________________________

Place of purchase: ______________________________

Important

This manual contains proprietary information that is protected by

copyright laws. The information contained in this manual is subject to

change without notice. Images provided herein are for reference only

and may contain information or features that do not apply to your

computer. Acer Group shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors

or omissions contained in this manual.

Table of contents - 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Register your Acer product ......................... 2

Manage your registered products ............... 2

First things first 6

Your guides ............................................. 6

Basic care and tips for using your

computer.................................................. 7

Turning your computer off........................... 7

Taking care of your computer ..................... 7

Taking care of your AC adapter .................. 8

Cleaning and servicing................................ 8

Your Acer notebook tour 9

Screen view ............................................. 9

Keyboard view ....................................... 11

Left view ............................................... 12

Information on USB 3.0............................. 12

Right view ............................................. 14

Base view .............................................. 15

Using the keyboard 17

Lock keys and embedded numeric

keypad................................................... 17

Hotkeys ..................................................... 18

Windows keys........................................ 19

Touchpad 20

Touchpad basics ................................... 20

Touchpad gestures................................ 20

Recovery 22

Creating a factory default backup.......... 22

Backing up your wireless and LAN

drivers.................................................... 25

Restoring your computer ....................... 25

Reset this PC and keep my files ............... 25

Reset this PC and remove everything ...... 26

Using a Bluetooth connection 29

Enabling and disabling Bluetooth .......... 29

Enable Bluetooth and add a device .......... 29

Connecting to the Internet 31

Connecting to a wireless network.......... 31

Connecting to a wireless LAN................... 31

Connecting with a cable ........................ 35

Built-in network feature ............................. 35

Connecting to a cellular network ........... 35

Acer ProShield 37

Overview................................................ 37

Setting up Acer ProShield ..................... 37

Personal Secure Drive .............................. 39

Credential Manager ............................... 40

Fingerprint Registration* ........................... 40

Data Protection ...................................... 41

Data Removal ........................................ 41

Securing your computer 42

Using a computer security lock.............. 42

Using passwords ................................... 42

Entering passwords .................................. 43

BIOS utility 44

Boot sequence....................................... 44

Setting passwords ................................. 44

Power management 45

Saving power ......................................... 45

Battery pack 47

Battery characteristics ........................... 47

Charging the battery ................................. 47

Optimizing battery life ............................... 48

Checking the battery level......................... 49

Battery-low warning .................................. 49

Traveling with your computer 50

Disconnecting from the desktop ............ 50

Moving around ....................................... 50

Preparing the computer ............................ 50

What to bring to meetings ......................... 51

Taking the computer home .................... 51

Preparing the computer ............................ 51

What to take with you................................ 52

Special considerations .............................. 52

Setting up a home office ........................... 52

Traveling with the computer................... 53

Preparing the computer ............................ 53

What to take with you................................ 53

Special considerations .............................. 53

Traveling internationally......................... 53

Preparing the computer ............................ 54

What to bring with you .............................. 54

Special considerations .............................. 54

Universal Serial Bus (USB) 56

HDMI 57

Memory card reader 58

Connectivity options............................... 58

Video and audio connectors 60

Frequently asked questions 62

Requesting service ................................ 64

Tips and hints for using Windows 10 ..... 65

How do I get to Start? ............................... 65

How do I turn off my computer?................ 65

How do I unlock my computer?................. 65

How do I set the alarm? ............................ 67

4 - Table of contents

Where are my apps?................................. 68

What is a Microsoft ID (account)?............. 68

How do I check for Windows updates?..... 69

Where can I get more information?........... 69

Troubleshooting..................................... 70

Troubleshooting tips.................................. 70

Error messages......................................... 70

Internet and online security 72

First steps on the net ............................. 72

Protecting your computer.......................... 72

Choose an Internet Service Provider........ 72

Network connections................................. 74

Surf the Net!.............................................. 76

Security ..................................................... 76

- 5

Getting started...

In this section you will find:

• Useful information on caring for your computer and your health

• Where to find the power button, ports and connectors

• Tips and tricks for using the touchpad and keyboard

• How to create recovery backups

• Guidelines for connecting to a network and using Bluetooth

• Information on using Acer’s bundled software

6 - First things first

FIRST THINGS FIRST

We would like to thank you for making this Acer notebook your choice

for meeting your mobile computing needs.

Your guides

To help you use your Acer notebook, we have designed a set of

guides:

First off, the Setup Guide (or Setup Poster) helps you get started

with setting up your computer.

The Quick Guide introduces you to the basic features and functions

of your new computer. For more on how your computer can help you

to be more productive, please refer to the User’s Manual. This guide

contains detailed information on such subjects as system utilities, data

recovery, expansion options and troubleshooting.

There are two ways to download the User’s Manual. You must first

be connected to the internet.

1. Open Acer ControlCenter from the desktop and select My System

> Summary and click User’s Manual to download the User’s

Manual.

2. Click on the link under Support.

1. The link will open the Acer Service & Support webpage.

2. From this page you can download and install the Acer

identification tool that will automatically detect your computer’s

serial number and SNID and allow you to copy it to the clipboard.

3. Scroll down to Drivers and Manuals and search for your model by

pasting in or manually entering the serial number, SNID, or

product model.

4. Once you have found your product model, select Documents and

select your language to download the User’s Manual.

First things first - 7

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Turning your computer off

To turn the power off, do any of the following:

• Use the Windows shutdown command: Press the Windows key or

select the Windows Start button, select Power > Shut down.

• Right-click the Windows Start button > Shut down or sign out >

Shut down.

If you need to power down the computer for a short while, but don’t

want to completely shut it down, you can put it to Sleep by doing any

of the following:

• Press the power button.

• Press the sleep hotkey.

• Press the Windows key or select the Windows Start button, select

Power > Sleep.

• Right-click the Windows Start button > Shut down or sign out >

Sleep.

Taking care of your computer

Your computer will serve you well if you take care of it.

• Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near

sources of heat, such as a radiator.

• Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0º C (32º F) or

above 50º C (122º F).

• Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.

• Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.

• Do not spill water or any liquid on the computer.

• Do not subject the computer to heavy shock or vibration.

Note

If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the power

button for more than four seconds to shut down the computer. If you turn off

the computer and want to turn it on again, wait at least two seconds before

powering up.

8 - First things first

• Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt.

• Never place objects on top of the computer.

• Do not slam the computer display when you close it.

• Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.

Taking care of your AC adapter

Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter:

• Do not connect the adapter to any other device.

• Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it.

Route the power cord and any cables away from where people walk.

• When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself but

pull on the plug.

• The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not

exceed the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension

cord. Also, the total current rating of all equipment plugged into a

single wall outlet should not exceed the fuse rating.

Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the computer.

2. Disconnect the AC adapter.

3. Use a soft, moist cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

If your computer is dropped or visibly damaged, or does not work

normally, please contact your nearest authorized Acer service center.

For more information, please see Got a question? on page 59.

Your Acer notebook tour - 9

YOUR ACER NOTEBOOK TOUR

After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Setup Guide, let us

show you around your new Acer computer.

Screen view

# Icon Item Description

1 Webcam

Web camera for video

communicat

ion.

A light next to the webcam indicates

that the

webcam is active.

2 Screen Displays computer output.

3

Power indicator

Indicates the computer’s power

st

atus.

Battery indicator

Indicates the computer’s battery

st

atus.

Charging: The

light shows amber

when the battery is charging.

Fully charged: The

light shows blue

when in AC mode.

Hard drive

indicator

Indicates when the computer’s hard

drive is active.

1

2

34 5

10 - Your Acer notebook tour

4 SD card reader

Accepts one Secure Digital (SD or

S

DHC) card.

Only one card can operate at a time.

5 Microphones

Internal stereo microphones for

sound recording.

# Icon Item Description

Your Acer notebook tour - 11

Keyboard view

# Icon Item Description

1 Keyboard

For entering data into your computer.

See "Using the keyboard" on page

17.

2

NFC contact

are

a

When activated, place an NFC-

enabled device ve

ry close to this

area to exchange data. See the

User’s Manual for more information

on using NFC.

3 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device.

4

Click buttons

(left and right)

The left and right buttons function like

the le

ft and right mouse buttons.

5

Fingerprint

re

ader

Fingerprint reader for Acer ProShield

Se

curity Suite (configuration may

vary by model).

6

Airplane mode

Enables/disables the computer’s

com

munication devices.

P key

Programmable key (configuration

may vary by mode

l).

Microphone

mute

Mutes the microphone.

1

2

4

5

6

7

8

3

12 - Your Acer notebook tour

Left view

61

2345

# Icon Item Description

1

Ethernet (RJ-45)

port

Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/

1000-ba

sed network.

Pull the lip down to open the port

fully

.

2

External display

(VGA) port

Connects to a display device (e.g.,

external monitor, LCD projector).

3

HDMI port

Supports high-definition digital video

conn

ections.

4

USB port Connects to USB devices.

5

USB Type-C /

Thunderbolt 3

port

Connects to USB devices that adopt

the USB T

ype-C connector. Supports

Thunderbolt 3, displays, and USB 3.1

Type-C, Gen 2 with transfer speeds

up to 10 Gb/s.

6

Headset/

speaker jack

Connects to audio devices (e.g.,

spea

kers, headphones) or a headset

with microphone.

Information on USB 3.0

• USB 3.0 compatible ports are blue.

• Compatible with USB 3.0 and earlier devices.

7

Power button Turns the computer on and off.

8

Num Lock

Lights up when Num Lock is

activate

d.

Caps Lock

Lights up when Caps Lock is

activate

d.

# Icon Item Description

Your Acer notebook tour - 13

• For optimal performance, use USB 3.0-certified devices.

• Defined by the USB 3.0 specification (SuperSpeed USB).

14 - Your Acer notebook tour

Right view

341

2

# Icon Item Description

1

USB port Connects to USB devices.

2

USB port with

power-off

charging

Connects to USB devices.

3

Kensington lock

slot

Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

Wrap the computer security lock

cable arou

nd an immovable object

such as a table or handle of a locked

drawer.

Insert the lock into the notch and turn

the key to secure the lock.

Keyless models are also available.

4

DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.

Your Acer notebook tour - 15

Base view

1

2

4

3

8

7

6

5

# Icon Item Description

1

Micro SIM card

slot

Accepts a 4G micro SIM card for 4G

conn

ectivity.

Insert a 4G SIM card to enable 4G

communicat

ion. The SIM card

connectors need to face up towards

the screen.

2

Acer ProDock

conne

ctor

Connects to the optional Acer

ProDock.

3

HDD

compartment

Houses the computer’s hard disk

drive memory.

Memory

compartment

Houses the computer’s main

mamory.

4

Acer DASP

(Di

sk Anti-Shock

Protection)

Protects the hard disk from shocks

and bu

mps.

5 Speakers Deliver stereo audio output.

16 - Your Acer notebook tour

6

Battery reset

pinhole

Simulates removing and reinstalling

the bat

tery.

Insert a paperclip into the hole and

press for fo

ur seconds.

7

Acer

DustDefend

er

Reduces dust accumulation,

enabling t

he components to stay

cool, perform better and last longer.

8

Ventilation and

cooling fa

n

Allows the computer to stay cool.

Do not cover or obstruct the

openings.

# Icon Item Description

Using the keyboard - 17

USING THE KEYBOARD

The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded numeric keypad,

separate cursor, lock, Windows, function and special keys.

Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad

The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.

The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric

keypad. It is indicated by small characters located on the upper right

corner of the keycaps. To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control

key symbols are not printed on the keys.

Lock key Description

Caps Lock

When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters

typed are in uppercase.

Num Lock

When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in

numeric mode. The keys function as a calculator

(complete with the arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /).

Use this mode when you need to do a lot of numeric

data entry. A better solution would be to connect an

external keypad.

Scroll Lock

When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up

or down when you press the up or down arrow keys

respectively. Scroll Lock does not work with some

applications.

Desired access Num Lock on Num Lock off

Number keys on

embedded keypad

Type numbers in a normal

manner.

Cursor-control keys

on embedded

keypad

Hold <Shift> while using

cursor-control keys.

Hold <Fn> while

using cursor-control

keys.

Main keyboard

keys

Hold <Fn> while typing

letters on embedded

keypad.

Type the letters in a

normal manner.

18 - Using the keyboard

Hotkeys

The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access most

of the computer's controls like screen brightness and volume output.

To activate hotkeys, press and hold the <Fn> key before pressing the

other key in the hotkey combination.

Hotkey Icon Function Description

<Fn> + <F3> Airplane mode

Turns on / off the computer's

network devices.

<Fn> + <F4> Sleep

Puts the computer in Sleep

mode.

<Fn> + <F5> Display toggle

Switches display output

between the display screen,

external monitor (if

connected) and both.

<Fn> + <F6> Display off

Turns the display screen

backlight off to save power.

Press any key to return.

Touchpad

toggle

Turns the built-in touchpad on

and off.

<Fn> + <F8> Speaker toggle

Turns the speakers on and

off.

Keyboard

backlight

Turns the keyboard backlight

on and off.

Also adjusts the backlight

brightness.

<Fn> + <F12>Scr Lk

Turns the scroll lock feature

on or off.

<Fn> + < > Brightness up

Increases the screen

brightness.

Brightness

down

Decreases the screen

brightness.

<Fn> + < > Volume up Increases the sound volume.

<Fn> + < > Volume down Decreases the sound volume.

<Fn> +

<Home>

Play/Pause

Play or pause a selected

media file.

Using the keyboard - 19

Windows keys

The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions.

<Fn> +

<Pg Up>

Stop

Stop playing the selected

media file.

<Fn> +

<Pg Dn>

file.

<Fn> +

<End>

Next Jump to the next media file.

Hotkey Icon Function Description

Key Description

Windows key

Pressed alone it returns to the Start screen or to

return to the last open app.

It can also be used with other keys for special

functions, please check Windows Help.

Application

key

This key has the same effect as clicking the right

mouse button; it opens the application's context

menu.

20 - Touchpad

TOUCHPAD

Touchpad basics

The touchpad controls the arrow (or 'cursor') on the screen. As you

slide your finger across the touchpad, the cursor will follow this

movement.

Press the left or right side of the button located beneath the touchpad

to perform selection and execution functions, or tap the surface of the

touchpad. These two areas are similar to the left and right buttons on

a mouse.

The cursor is controlled by some basic gestures:

• Single-finger slide: Slide a finger across the touchpad to

move the cursor.

• Single-finger tap: Lightly tap the touchpad with your finger,

to perform a 'click', which will select or start an item. Quickly

repeat the tap to perform a double tap or 'double click'.

• Drag: Press and hold the left side of the selection button, or tap

twice anywhere on the touchpad, then slide a second finger across

the touchpad to select all items in an area.

Touchpad gestures

Windows 10 and many applications support touchpad gestures that

use one or more fingers.

These allow you to control applications with a few simple gestures,

such as:

Note

The touchpad is sensitive to finger movement; the lighter the touch, the better

the response. Please keep the touchpad and your fingers dry and clean.

Note

Support for touchpad gestures depends on the active application.

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