Gateway Desktops User manual

USER GUIDE

Gateway Computer

8511629.book Page a Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

8511629.book Page b Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Contents

www.gateway.com

i

Contents

Chapter 1: Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Thank you for purchasing our computer! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Using the Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Using Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Using Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Using Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Finding your model and serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Finding the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Working safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Reducing eye strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Setting up your computer desk and chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Setting up your computer and computer accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Sitting at your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Checking the voltage selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Starting your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Waking up your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Turning off your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Restarting your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Premium multimedia keyboard features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Elite multimedia keyboard features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Standard keyboard features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Using the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting the dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network . . . . . . . . 22

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 3: Using Windows XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the Windows desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Adding icons to the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Identifying window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

8511629.book Page i Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Contents www.gateway.com

ii

Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Searching for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Using the Windows Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Using Windows shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Chapter 4: Using the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Chapter 5: Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Installing and configuring Microsoft Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Installing Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Configuring Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Setting up your cover page template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Sending a quick fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Faxing a scanned document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Automatically retry sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Canceling a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Chapter 6: Using Your Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Using the diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Configuring the audio jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Connecting a projector or monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

8511629.book Page ii Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Contents

www.gateway.com

iii

Connecting a video camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Installing an uninterruptible power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Chapter 7: Using Your Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Playing music and movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Playing WAV audio files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Playing audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Playing CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Creating audio files and music libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Editing music file information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Creating and editing videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Editing videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Transferring your video to your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Editing your video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Saving your video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Creating music CDs and video DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Creating a music CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Creating a video DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Creating and copying data CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Creating a data CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Copying a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Using advanced multimedia features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Recording audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Chapter 8: Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Changing the colors on your Windows desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Changing the mouse settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Using an extended desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Adjusting power-saving settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Changing advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Activating and using Hibernate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Chapter 9: Networking Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Introducing networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Using a router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Creating an Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Installing Ethernet cards and drivers 99

8511629.book Page iii Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Contents www.gateway.com

iv

Making sure your broadband connection works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Naming your computers and workgroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Configuring the TCP/IP protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Setting up an Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Testing your network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Sharing resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Sharing drives and printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Using the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Viewing shared drives and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Mapping a network drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Opening files across the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Copying files across the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Printing files across the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Adding a printer to your network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Chapter 10: Protecting Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Securing your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Using the Kensington lock slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Securing your data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Using startup and hard drive passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Using Windows user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Setting limits with user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Using Windows XP Security Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Updating Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Chapter 11: Recovering Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Understanding system recovery options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Recovering your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Recovering specific files and software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Recovering your system using Microsoft System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Recovering your system from the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Chapter 12: Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Deleting unnecessary files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Scheduling maintenance tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Moving from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

8511629.book Page iv Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Contents

www.gateway.com

v

Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Installing your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Installing your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 13: Adding and Replacing Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Opening the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Removing the side panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Removing the front bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Closing the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Replacing the front bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Replacing the side panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Replacing the system battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Replacing a CD, DVD, or Diskette Drive, or a Memory Card Reader . . . . . 143

Adding or replacing a hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Replacing the front fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Replacing the rear fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Replacing the power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Replacing the heat sink and processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Replacing the I/O board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Adding or replacing an expansion card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Replacing the system board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Chapter 14: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Solving problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Add-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

CD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Modem (cable or DSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Networks 170

8511629.book Page v Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Contents www.gateway.com

vi

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Appendix A: Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

8511629.book Page vi Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 1

1

Getting Help

• Thank you for purchasing our computer!

• Using the Gateway Web site

•Using Help and Support

• Using Online help

• Finding your model and serial number

• Finding the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

8511629.book Page 1 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 1: Getting Help www.gateway.com

2

Thank you for purchasing our computer!

You have made an excellent decision choosing Gateway. We are sure that you

will be pleased with the outstanding quality, reliability, and performance of your

new computer. Each and every Gateway computer uses the latest technology

and passes through the most stringent quality control tests to ensure that you

are provided with the best product possible.

Please read this manual carefully to familiarize yourself with our range of

services and support. We have highlighted some basic care and safety

information to help you keep your computer in good operating condition.

Gateway stands behind our value proposition to our customers — to provide

best-of-class service and support in addition to high-quality, brand-name

components at affordable prices. If you ever have a problem, our

knowledgeable, dedicated customer service department will provide you with

fast, considerate service.

We sincerely hope that you will receive the utmost satisfaction and enjoyment

from your new Gateway computer for years to come.

Thanks again, from all of us at Gateway.

Using the Gateway Web site

Gateway's online support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and

provides the most current drivers, product specifications, tutorials, and

personalized information about your computer. Visit the Gateway Web support

site at www.gateway.com/support

.

8511629.book Page 2 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Using the Gateway Web site

www.gateway.com

3

Using Support

The Support site is divided into seven major areas:

■ Support Home

■ Product Support

■ Downloads

■ Customer Service

■ Upgrade Center

■ Resources

■ Contact Us

Support Home

Click Support Home, then click Desktops. To view support documents for your

computer, type your serial number in the Serial Number box, then click Submit.

Click the arrow button to open the Select Your Computer Product box, then

click Desktop Computers to access product documentation, specifications, and

guides for all Gateway computers.

Product Support

Click Product Support to view a list of all the products that Gateway supports.

Downloads

Click Downloads to get the latest software updates for BIOS and driver

upgrades. By entering your serial number you get drivers specific to your

computer. Click Browse All Downloads to walk through a step-by-step wizard

to locate your drivers.

Customer Service

Click Customer Service to view information about your account and general

information about warranties and special offers.

Upgrade Center

Click Upgrade Center to view and purchase upgrades for your computer.

Resources

Click Resources to access utilities to help you manage your computer.

Contact Us

Click Contact Us to access links to customer care with a live technician,

including chat and e-mail. Click Call Us to get a list of Gateway telephone

numbers for both sales and support. For more information, see “Telephone

support” on page 173.

8511629.book Page 3 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 1: Getting Help www.gateway.com

4

Using Help and Support

Your computer includes Help and Support, an easily accessible collection of help

information, troubleshooters, and automated support. Use Help and Support

to answer questions about Windows and to help you quickly discover and use

the many features of your Gateway computer.

To start Help and Support:

■ Click Start, then click Help and Support. Help and Support opens.

Using Help and Support, you can find help information by clicking a link,

performing a search, or browsing the index.

Searching for a topic

To search for a topic in Help and Support, type a word or phrase (keyword) in

the Search box located at the top of any Help and Support screen, then click

the arrow button.

For each search, you receive the following search result types:

■ Suggested Topics—These topics are located in Help and Support and are

relevant to your search topic.

■ Full-text Search Matches—These topics are located in Help and Support

and contain the words you entered in the Search box.

■ Microsoft Knowledge Base—These topics are located on the Microsoft

Web site and contain the words you entered in the Search box. You must

be connected to the Internet to search for and access these topics.

To view a list of your search results, click the results header for the type of results

you want to view.

To view a topic, click the topic name in the Search Results list.

8511629.book Page 4 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Using Online help

www.gateway.com

5

Using 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. You can access most

online help information by selecting a topic from a Help menu or by clicking a

Help button.

Finding your model and serial number

Important

The labels shown in this section are for

informational purposes only. Label

information varies by model, features

ordered, and location.

The label on the side of your computer case includes your computer serial

number. Gateway Technical Support will need this information if you call for

assistance.

Finding the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the back or side of your

computer includes the product key code for your operating system.

8511629.book Page 5 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 1: Getting Help www.gateway.com

6

8511629.book Page 6 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 2

7

Getting Started

•Front

•Back

•Working safely

•Starting your computer

• Turning off your computer

• Restarting your computer

•Using the keyboard

•Using the mouse

• Connecting the dial-up modem

• Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet

network

• Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device

8511629.book Page 7 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 2: Getting Started www.gateway.com

8

Front

Your computer includes the following components (your computer may differ

from the computer shown below).

DVD/CD drive

Headphone jack

Power button/power

indicator

Diskette drive

(optional)

USB ports

Microphone jack

Hard drive activity

indicator

8511629.book Page 8 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Front

www.gateway.com

9

Component Icon Description

DVD/CD drive Use this drive to listen to audio CDs, install games and programs, watch DVDs, and store large files onto

recordable discs (depending on drive type).

This drive may be a CD, recordable CD, DVD, or recordable DVD drive. To identify your drive type and for

more information about your drive, see “Identifying drive types” on page 53.

Diskette drive

(optional)

Insert a standard 3.5-inch diskette into the optional diskette drive. For more information, see “Using the

diskette drive” on page 52.

USB ports Plug a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device (such as a printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into this

port. For more information, see “Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 22.

Power

button/Power

indicator

Press this button to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the power button to operate in

Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate mode.

The button lights when the computer is turned on.

Hard drive activity

indicator

Lights when the hard drive is active.

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack. This jack is color-coded red or pink.

Headphone jack Plug powered, analog front speakers, an external amplifier, or headphones into this jack. This jack is

color-coded green.

8511629.book Page 9 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 2: Getting Started www.gateway.com

10

Back

Your computer includes the following components (your computer may differ

from the computer shown below).

PS/2 keyboard port

PS/2 mouse port

Voltage switch

Power connector

Ethernet (network)

jack

DVI monitor port

Audio in jack

Case cover

thumbscrew

Headphone jack

USB ports

Cover release lever

Case cover

thumbscrew

Modem jack

(optional)

Microphone jack

VGA monitor port

Telephone jack

(optional)

8511629.book Page 10 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Back

www.gateway.com

11

Component Icon Description

Voltage switch Before turning on your computer, make sure that this switch is in the

correct position for the correct power available. The switch is preset at the

factory with the correct voltage for your area.

In the United States, the utility power is supplied at a nominal 115 volts

at 60 Hz. The power supply should always be set to this when your

computer is operating in the United States. In other areas of the world, such

as Europe, the utility power is supplied at 230 volts at 50 Hz. If your

computer is operating in an environment such as this, the voltage switch

should be moved to 230.

Power connector Plug the power cord into this connector.

Case cover

thumbscrew

Remove this screw before opening the case.

Cover release lever Press toward the side of the case to open the computer cover.

Audio input (Line in)

jack

Plug an external audio input source (such as a stereo) into this jack so you

can record sound on your computer.

Ethernet (network)

jack

Plug a 10/100 Ethernet network cable or a device (such as a DSL or cable

modem for a broadband Internet connection) into this jack.

For more information, see “Networking Your Computer” on page 97.

PS/2 mouse port Plug a PS/2 mouse into this port.

VGA monitor port Plug a VGA monitor into this port.

Telephone jack

(optional)

After connecting the modem jack into a wall jack, connect a telephone to

this jack.

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.

Headphone/analog

speakers jack

Plug powered speakers, an external amplifier, or headphones into this jack.

USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a printer, scanner, camera,

keyboard, or mouse) into these ports. For more information, see “Installing

a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 22.

PS/2 keyboard port Plug a PS/2 keyboard into this port.

DVI monitor port Plug a DVI monitor into this port.

Modem jack (optional) After connecting the modem jack into a wall jack, connect a telephone to

this jack.

8511629.book Page 11 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

CHAPTER 2: Getting Started www.gateway.com

12

Working safely

Before using your computer, read the following recommendations for setting

up a safe and comfortable work area and avoiding discomfort and strain.

Reducing eye strain

Sunlight or bright indoor lighting should not reflect on the monitor screen or

shine directly into your eyes.

■ Position the computer desk and monitor so you can avoid glare on your

screen and light shining directly into your eyes. Reduce glare by installing

shades or curtains on windows, and by installing a glare screen filter on

your monitor.

■ Use soft, indirect lighting in your work area. Do not use your computer in

a dark room.

■ Avoid focusing your eyes on your computer screen for long periods of

time. Look away from your computer occasionally, and try to focus on

distant objects.

Top of screen is not

higher than eye level

Feet are flat on the floor

Hands and

arms are

parallel to the

floor

Screen is perpendicular

to your line of sight

8511629.book Page 12 Wednesday, July 19, 2006 9:38 AM

Page is loading ...

Gateway Desktops User manual

Gateway Desktops User manual

Related papers

Other documents