2
Basic Operation
Operating Your Notebook
You can start and stop your notebook by using the power button.
At other times, power considerations, types of active connections, and startup time may cause you to use alternative methods to start or stop your notebook. This chapter describes several methods.
Startup Guide 2–1
Basic Operation
Default Power Settings
The following table is describing the default power setting.
Power mode
ON—Power status light will turn on.
To enter this mode
Briefly press the power button.
Function
Powers on the notebook.
OFF—Power status light will turn off.
Select Start > Turn Off
Computer > Turn Off. If the system has stopped responding and Windows shutdown procedures cannot be used, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds to turn off the notebook.
Powers off the notebook.
Standby—Power status light will blink.
Select Start > Turn Off
Computer > Stand By.
-or-
Allow the system to time out.
Saves significant power.
Turns off the display and other components.
Maintains current session in RAM.
Restarts quickly.
Restores network connections.
Hibernation—
Power status light will turn off.
If the notebook is already on, briefly press the power button.
-or-
Press Fn+F12.
-or-
Allow the system to time out.
Saves maximum power.
Saves current session to disk, then shuts down.
Restores network connections.
You can also customize how these power modes work. See the
“Battery Packs and Power Management” chapter in the Reference
Guide on the Documentation Library CD included with your notebook.
2–2 Startup Guide
Basic Operation
To Reset the Notebook
Occasionally, you may find that Windows or the notebook has stopped responding and will not let you turn off the notebook.
If this happens, try the following procedures in this order:
If possible, shut down Windows. Press ctrl+alt+del, then select
Shut Down > Restart.
-or-
Press the power button for at least 4 seconds until the display shuts down. Unsaved data will be lost. Press the power button again to restart.
-or-
Insert the tip of a paper clip into the reset button on the bottom of the notebook, then press the power button to restart.
To Change the Boot Device
The notebook normally boots from its internal hard drive. You can also boot the notebook from a diskette drive, a CD-ROM drive, or an internal network interface card.
1. Select Start > Turn Off Computer > Restart.
2. When the logo screen appears, press esc to display the
Boot menu.
3. Use the arrow keys to select the boot device, then press enter.
If you want to boot from a specific device whenever it is present, change the boot order using the BIOS Setup utility. See
“Configuring Your Notebook” in the “Troubleshooting” chapter in this guide.
Startup Guide 2–3
Basic Operation
To Use the TouchPad
The TouchPad includes an on-off button so you can turn off the
TouchPad to avoid moving the pointer accidentally when you are typing. The indicator light turns off when you turn off the
TouchPad.
2–4
The following table describes the external components of the
TouchPad identified in the previous illustration.
1 Click buttons. The Click buttons work like the left and right buttons on a standard mouse
2 TouchPad (touch-sensitive pointing device).
3
TouchPad on-off button and indicator light.
4 Scroll pad. The scroll pad scrolls vertically to display the contents of the active window.
Startup Guide
To Use the Function Hot Keys
Basic Operation
The combination of the Fn key plus another key creates a hot key—a shortcut key sequence—for various system controls.
To use a hot key, press and hold Fn, press the appropriate second key, then release both keys.
The following table describes the different combination of the function keys.
This hot key
Fn+F1
Does this
Decreases the display brightness.
Fn+F2 Increases the display brightness.
Fn+F8
Fn+F12
Toggles the built-in keypad on and off. Does not affect an external keyboard. If Num Lock is on, then the numeric functions are active; otherwise, cursor control is active (as marked on an external keyboard).
Initiates Hibernation.
Fn+NumLock
Fn+Page Up
Fn+Page Down
Fn+Backspace
Toggles Scroll Lock on and off.
Increases the audio volume and cancels the mute setting.
Decreases the audio volume.
Mutes/unmutes the audio output.
Startup Guide 2–5
Basic Operation
Using CDs or DVDs
To Play DVD Movies
If your notebook is equipped with a DVD or other DVD readable drive, it also includes DVD player software that lets you play
DVD movies.
NOTE: DVDs can have regional codes embedded in the disc data.
These codes prevent DVD movies from being played outside the region of the world in which they are sold. If you get a region code error, you are trying to play a DVD intended for a different region.
Most DVD drives let you change the region code only a limited number of times (usually no more than 4). When you reach this limit, your last change to the region code will be hard-coded on the DVD drive and will be permanent. Your warranty does not cover the expense of correcting this situation. Refer to the
Help for your DVD player software for details about setting region codes.
2–6 Startup Guide
Basic Operation
To Connect a TV to Your Notebook
You can use a TV as an external monitor for your notebook. To connect a TV to your notebook:
1. Plug a standard 4-pin S-Video cable to the S-Video out jack on your notebook (yellow connector on the back panel).
Plug the other end of the cable to the S-Video in jack on your television. Restart your notebook.
NOTE: Although your notebook has a 7-pin S-Video out jack, the notebook accepts either a 7-pin or 4-pin cable connection.
2. Select Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Themes >
Display. Then, select Settings tab > Advanced button >
Display tab.
3. To enable the TV, select the red button next to TV.
NOTE: If the S-Video cable is not plugged into your notebook and TV, the red button will not be displayed.
4. Select Apply to accept the changes.
5. If you are prompted to restart Windows, select Yes.
To Connect an Infrared Device
(Select Models Only)
NOTE: Select models include an infrared port. By default, the infrared port is not enabled, so you must first enable it before you can use it.
If your model has an infrared port (a small, rectangular lens located on the front of the notebook), then your notebook can communicate wirelessly with other infrared devices, such as printers or other notebooks, using this port.
Startup Guide 2–7
Basic Operation
Using the Infrared Port
Make sure the infrared port of your notebook and the infrared port of the device with which you want to communicate lie in a straight line facing each other. The 2 ports should be no more than 3 feet (1 meter) apart with no obstructions in between. Noise from nearby equipment can cause transmission errors.
1. Select Start > Control Panel > Performance and
Maintenance > System.
2. Select the Hardware tab > Device Manager button >
ALI fast infrared controller > Enable Device button.
3. Select Next > Finish > Close. Then close all open dialog boxes.
To check the status of communications, open Wireless Link by selecting Start > Control Panel > Printers & Other
Hardware > Wireless Link.
Printing to an Infrared Printer
Install your printer and assign it to the notebook infrared port.
You can then print from your applications or by following the directions for infrared ports.
Transferring Files Through an Infrared Connection
You can use your notebook infrared port to transfer files by using
Wireless Link. See the Windows online Help for instructions on using Wireless Link.
2–8 Startup Guide
