Acer TravelMate 290 manual

T ravelMate 290 series User’ s guide[...]

Changes may be made peri odically to the i nformation in this publication without obligation to notify any pers on of such revi sion or changes. Such changes wi ll be inco rporated in new editions of thi s manual or supplem entary documents and publ ications. This com pany makes no representati ons or warranties, ei ther expressed or im plied, with[...]

iii English First things first W e would like to thank you for m aking the T ravelMate series of notebook computers your choice fo r your mobile computing needs. W e hope you will be happ y with your T ravel Mate as much as we enjoyed making it for you. Yo u r g u i d e s To help you use your Tr avelMate, we have design ed a set of gui des: For mor[...]

iv English Basic car e and tips for using your computer T urning your computer on and off To turn on the computer, s imply pr ess the power butto n on the left of the launch keys found above your Tr avelMate’s sta ndard keyboard. See “Front op en view ” on page 3 for the location of the power bu tton . To turn th e power of f, do any of the f[...]

v English • Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture. • Do not spill water or any liquid on the co mputer . • Do not subject the computer to heavy shoc k and vibration. • Do not expose the computer to dust an d dirt. • Never p lace o bject s on top o f the comput er to a void d amagi ng the computer . • Do not slam the computer di[...]

vi English Cleaning and servicing • When cleaning the computer , follow these steps: • Power off the computer and remove the battery pack. • Disconnect the AC adapter . • Use a soft cloth moistened with water . Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners . • T o clean th e display scre en, use an LCD cle aning kit. If any of the following occur[...]

First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your compute r iv 1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1 A TravelMate tour 3 Front open view 3 Front view 4 Left view 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7 Bottom view 9 Featur es 10 Indicators 12 Using t he keyb oard 14 Special ke ys 14 Launch Keys 20 Touchpad 2 1 Touchpad basics 21 Storage 23[...]

3 Troubleshooting my computer 47 Frequently-asked questions 49 Troubleshooting ti ps 52 Error messages 53 Requesting service 54 International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 54 Before you call 54 Appendix A Specifications 57 Appendix B Notices 63 Index 73[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate[...]

Y our T ravelMate computer combines high- performance, versatility , power management features and multimedia capabilities with a unique style and ergonomic design. W ork with unmatched productivity and reliability with your new power co mputing partner .[...]

3 English A T ravelMate tour After setting up your computer as illust rated in the Just for Starters... poster, let us show you ar ou nd your new TravelM ate computer. Fr ont open view # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid -crystal display), displays computer outpu t. 2 Power button T u rns on the co mputer .[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 4 English Fr ont view 3 To u c h p a d T ouch -sensitive pointing device wh ich functions like a comput er mouse. 4 Click buttons (left and right) The left and right butt ons function like th e left and right mouse buttons. 5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the comp uter . 6 Keyboard[...]

5 English Left view # Item Description 1 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g., infrared printer , IR-aware computer). 2 PC Card slot Accepts one T ype II 16-bit PC Card or 32-bit CardBus PC Card. 3 W ireless Communication switch Enables and disables Wireless communication devices. 4 Stereo speaker Outputs sound. 5 Headphone/ Speaker[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 6 English Right view # Item Description 1 Stereo speaker Outputs sound. 2 HDD Houses the computer's hard disk. 3 V entilation slot Enables the computer to stay cool, eve n after prolonged use. 4 DC-in jack Connects the AC adapter .[...]

7 English Rear view # Item Descri ption 1 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices. 2 S-video Connec ts to a television or display device with S-video inpu t. 3 Ethernet port Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based network. 4 Modem port Connects to a phone line. 5 T wo USB 2.0 ports Connects to Universal Se rial Bus devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB c[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 8 English 7 Parallel port Con nects to a parallel device (e.g., pa rallel printer). 8 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-com patible computer security lock. # Item Descri ption[...]

9 English Bottom view # Item Description 1 RAM slot The slot that houses the com puter's main memory . 2 AcerMedia bay release latch Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removing the optical drive. 3 AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive m odule. 4 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack . 5 Battery release latch Unlatches the batte[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 10 English Featur es Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many fea tures: Performance • Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.3 ~1.7 GHz or higher • Intel 855GM ch ipset • Memory upgradeable up to 2 GB with 2 slots • Internal removable optical drive (AcerMedia bay) • High-capacity , Enhance d-IDE h[...]

11 English Connectivity • High-speed fax/data modem port • Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port • Fast infrared wireless communication • Three USB 2.0 ports (T wo in rear and one on left) • IEEE 1394 port • InviLink 802.11b or 802.11 a/b wireless LAN (manufact uring optional ) • Bluetooth ready (manu facturing o ptional) Expansion • One type[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 12 English Indicators The computer has six easy-to-read status indicators below the display screen, and three on the front of the computer. The Power and Battery status indica t ors are visible even when the display i s closed . Icon Function Description HDD Lights when Hard Disk Drive is activated. ODD Lights wh[...]

13 English 1. Charging : Flashing 1 sec. and off 3 sec. 2. Low capacity (about 10%) : Flashing 0. 25 sec. and off 0.25 se c. 3. Critically low capacity (about 3%) : Flashing 0. 1 se c. and off 0.1 sec. 4. Fully charged : Stea dy on * If the user plugs in the wrong po wer adapter (less than 60 watts), the indicator of system and battery status flash[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 14 English Using the keyboar d The full-sized keyboard include s an emb edded numeri c keyp ad, separate cursor keys, two Window s keys and twelve function keys. Special keys Lock keys The keyboard has four lock keys which you can to ggle on and o ff. Lock key Description Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alpha[...]

15 English Embedded numeric keypad The embedded numeric keypad func tions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indi cated by sma ll characters located on the right-hand- side of the keycap s. Desir ed access Num lock on Num lock off Number keys on embedded keypad T ype n umbers in a normal manner . Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typin g letters o[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 16 English W indows keys The keyboard has two keys that pe rform Windows-spec if ic fun ctions. Key Description Windows logo key Start button. Combinations with this key perform shortcut functions. Below are a few e xamples: + T ab ( Activates next taskbar button) + E (Explores My Computer) + F (Finds Document) +[...]

17 English Hot keys The computer employs hot keys or ke y combinat ions to access m ost of the computer’s controls like sc reen brightness, volume ou tput and the BIOS Utility. To activate hot keys, pres s and hold the Fn key before press ing the other k ey in the hot ke y combin ation. Hot key Icon Function Description Fn - Esc Sleep Puts the co[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 18 English The Euro symbol If your ke yboard la yout is set to Un ited Stat es-International or Unite d Kingdom or if you have a keyb oard w ith a European layout, you can type the Euro symbol on your keyboard. Note for US keyboard users: The keyboard layout is set when you first set up Windows. For the Euro symb[...]

19 English 5 Click on OK . To verify the keyboard type in Wi ndows XP, follow the steps below: 1 Click on Start , Control Panel . 2 Double-click on Regional and Language Options . 3 Click on the Language tab and click on Details . 4 V erify that the keyboard layout us ed for "En English (United States)" is set to United States-Inter natio[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 20 English Launch Keys Located above the keyboard are thr ee buttons. T he left-most button is the power button. To the right of the power button are the two launch keys. They are desi gnated as the progr ammable buttons (P1 and P2). Launch key Default ap plicat ion P1 User-programmable P2 User-programmable[...]

21 English T ouchpad The built -in touchp ad is a poin ting de vice that sen ses movement on its surface. This means the cursor respon ds as you move your finger on the surface of the touchpad. The central location on the palmrest provides optimum comfort a nd support. T ouchpad basics The following items teach yo u ho w to use the touc hpad: • M[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 22 English Note: Keep your fing ers dry and clean when u sing the touchpad. Also keep the touchpad dry and clean . The touchpad is sensitive to finger movements. Hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. T apping harder will no t increase the touchpad’ s responsiveness. Function Left butto n Right [...]

23 English Storage This comp uter su ppli es you with the following me dia storage: • High-capacity Enhanc ed-IDE hard disk • Hot Swappabl e AcerMe dia drive Har d disk The high-capacity ha rd dis k is the answer to your storage needs. T his is where your programs and data are stor ed. AcerMedia bay The hot swappable AcerMedia bay accepts a wi [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 24 English Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray To eject the optical drive tray when the computer is turned on, press the drive eject button. When the p ower is of f, you ca n eject t he drive tray us ing the emergency eject hole. See page 50 . Using softwar e Playing DVD movies When the DVD-ROM drive modu[...]

25 English 2 The DVD movie will automatica lly play after a few seconds. Note: T o change the region code, insert a DVD movie of a different region into the DVD-RO M drive. Please refer to the online help for more in formation. Region code Country or region 1 U.S.A. , Canada 2 Europe, Middle East, South Africa , Japan 3 Southeast Asia, T aiwan, Kor[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 26 English Audio The computer comes with 16-bit high -fidelity AC’9 7 ste reo audi o, and dual stereo speak ers. Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on the comput er is as easy as pressing some buttons. See “H ot keys” on page 17 for more informations on adjusting the sp eaker volume.[...]

27 English Power management This comput er has a built-i n powe r management unit that moni tors system activity. System activity refe rs to any activity involving one or more of the following devices: keyb oard, mouse, floppy drive, hard disk, peripherals connecte d to the ser ial and parallel ports, and video memory. If no activity is detected fo[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 28 English Moving ar ound with your T ravelMate This sectio n gives you tips an d hints to consi der when movi ng around or traveling with your computer. Disconnecting fr om the desktop Follow th ese steps to discon nect your computer from external accessor ies: 1 Save your work in progress. 2 Remove any media, d[...]

29 English you can pu t the compu ter in Sleep mod e by pressing Fn- Esc . Then close and latch the display. When you are ready to use the comp uter again, unla tch and open the display; then press and release the power button . Note: If the sleep indicator is off, the computer has entered Hiberna tion mode a nd turned of f. If the power indicator [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 30 English from the drive(s). Failure to re move the media can damage the drive head. • Pack the computer in a protecti ve case that can prevent the computer from sl iding around and cushion it if it should fall . Caution: A void packing items next to th e top cover of the computer . Pressure against the top co[...]

31 English If you use your computer at home for significant periods of time, you might also want to add an extern al keyboard, monitor, or mouse. T raveling with the computer “when you are moving within a larger distance, for instance, fr om your office buildi ng to a clien t’s office buil ding or trav eling locally” Pr eparing the computer P[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 32 English What to bring with you Bring the fol lowing items with you: • AC adapter • Power cords that a re appropriate for the country to which you are traveling • Spare, ful ly-charged battery p acks • AcerMedia dr ive module (s) • Additional printer driver files if you plan to use ano ther printer ?[...]

33 English Securing your computer Your computer is a valu able investme nt th at you nee d to take ca re of. Learn how to prote ct and take care of yo ur computer. Security features include hardware and software locks — a secur ity notch and pa sswords. Using a computer security lock A security keylock notch located on the rear of the comput er l[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 34 English boot-up and resume from hibern ation for maximum security . • Password on Bo ot secures your c omput er agai n st unauthorized use. Combine the use of this pass word with pass wo rd checkpoints on boot-up and resume from hi bernation for maximum security . Important! D o not forget your Supervisor! I[...]

2 Customizing my computer[...]

After learning the basics of your T ravelMate computer , let’ s get acquainted with the advanced features of your computer . In this chapter , you will lear n how to add options, upgrade components for better performance, and customize your computer .[...]

37 English Expanding thr ough options Your TravelMate offers you a complete mobile computing e xperience. Connectivity options Ports allow you to co nnect peripheral devices to your computer as you would with a de sktop PC. For instructions on how to connect different external devices to the computer, see your online guide for more details. Fax/dat[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 38 English Built-in network featur e The built-in ne twork feature allows you to connect your c omputer to an Ethernet-ba sed (10/100 Mbps ) network. To use the network feature, conn ect an Ether net cable f rom the network jack on the rear of the co mputer to a network jack or hub on your network . Fast infrar ed The co[...]

39 English Universal Serial Bus The Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) port is a high-speed serial bus which allows you to connect and daisy-ch ain USB peripheral s without taking up precious system res ources. Your computer has thre e ports available, one on left and two in rear.[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 40 English IEEE 1394 port The computer's IEEE 1394 port allo ws you to connect to an IEEE 1394 supported devices like a video camera or digital camera. See your video or digital camera 's documentation for detai ls. PC Car d slot The type II CardBus PC Card slot foun d on the left side of the compute r accepts [...]

41 English Inserting a PC Card Insert the card into th e slot and make the prop er connections (e.g., network cab le), if necessary. Se e your card m anual for details. Ejecting a PC Card Before ejecting a PC Card: 1 Exit the applic ation using the card. 2 Left-click on the PC Car d icon on the taskbar and stop the card operation . 3 Press the slot[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 42 English Upgrade options Your computer deli vers superior power and performance. However, some users and the applications they use ma y dema nd more. This computer all ows you to upg rad e key c omponents when you need increased performanc e. Note: Co ntact your authorized dealer if you decide to p erform a key compone[...]

43 English Installing memory Follow these steps to install memory: 1 T urn off the c omputer , unplug th e AC adapter (if connec ted) and remove the battery pack. Then turn the computer over to access its base. 2 Remove the screws from the memory cover (a); then lift up and remove the memory cover (b). 3 Insert the memory module diagonally int o th[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 44 English Swapping AcerMedi a drive modules Note : The hard disk drive modul e is not hot-swappable. Y ou have to turn off your computer be fore you can sw ap the module. You can sw ap the AcerMedia d riv e with any optional AcerMedia modules. First slide the AcerMedia release latch as shown in the illustration (a). The[...]

45 English Using system utilities Launch Manager Launch Manager allo ws you to set the two launch keys located above the keyboard. See “Launc h Keys” on page 20 for the location of the launch k ey. You can ac cess the Launch M anager by cl icking on Start , All Programs , and then Launch Manager to start the application. BIOS Utility The BIOS U[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 46 English[...]

3 T r oubleshooting my computer[...]

This chapter instructs y ou on how to deal with common system problem s. Read it before calling a technician if a problem occurs. Solutions to more se rious problems require opening up the computer . Do not attempt to open the computer by yourself. Contact your dealer or an authorized service center for assistance. Key link: www .acersupport.com[...]

49 English Fr equently-asked questions The following is a l ist of possible situations th at may arise during the use of your comp uter. Easy answe rs and solutions ar e provided for each one. I pressed the power button and opened the display , but the computer do es not start or b oot-up. Look at the Power indicator: • If it is not lit, no power[...]

3 T rou bleshooting my comp uter 50 English expands to fill the computer disp lay. Right-click on your Windows desktop and se lect Prop erties to br ing up the Display Properties dialog box. Then click on the Se ttings tab to make sure that the resolu tion is set to th e app ropriat e resolution. Re solutions lower than the specified resolution are[...]

51 English The infrared port does not work. Check the following: • Make sure that the infrared port s of the two devices are facing each other (+/- 15 degrees) a maximum of 1 mete r apart. • Make sure there is a clear path between the two infrared ports. Nothing shou ld be blockin g the ports. • Make sure you have the ap prop riate software r[...]

3 T rou bleshooting my comp uter 52 English T r oubleshooting tips This notebook comp uter incorporates an advanced design that delivers onscreen error message reports to help you solve problems. If the system report s an error mess age or an error sy mpt om occurs, see “Erro r messag es” on pa ge 53 . If the problem cannot be resolved, contact[...]

53 English Err or messages If you receive an error messa ge, note the message and take the corrective action. The fo llowing table lists th e error messages in alphabetical order together with the recommended course of action. If you still encounte r problems a fter going through the corrective measures, please contact your dealer or an authorized [...]

3 T rou bleshooting my comp uter 54 English Requesting service Inter national T raveler ’ s W arranty (ITW) Your computer is backed by an Interna tional Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) that gives you security and peac e of mind when traveling. Our worldwide network of service center s are there to give you a helping hand. An ITW passport come s with [...]

55 English You are required to provide the following information: Name:______________________________________ __ Address:________________________________ ______ _________________________________ _____________ Telephone number:____________________________ Machine and model type:_______________________ Serial number:_________________________________ [...]

3 T rou bleshooting my comp uter 56 English[...]

Appendix A Specifications[...]

This appendix lists the gener al specifications of your computer .[...]

59 English Micr opr ocessor • Intel® Pentium® M Processo r with 1024 KB L2 c ache Memory • Main memory ex pandable up to 2 GB • T wo DDR DIM M slots • Support 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB & 1GB DDR SDRAM modules • 512 KB Flash ROM BIOS Data storage • One high-ca pacity , Enhanc ed-IDE hard disk • One 5.25-inch internal hot-swappabl e [...]

Appendix A Specifications 60 English I/O ports • One type II CardBu s PC Card slot • One RJ-45 jack (Et hernet 10/100) • One RJ-1 1 phone jack (V .90/92) • One DC-in jack for AC adapter • One parallel port • One VGA port for ex ternal monitor • One speaker/headphone-out jac k (3.5mm mini jack) • One microphone-in jack • One IEEE 1[...]

61 English System • ACPI suppor t • DMI 2.0-compliant • Microsoft Windows op erating s ystem Power • Battery pack • 63 Wh Li-ion battery pack • 2.5-hour r apid cha rge/3.5 -hour charge-in-u se • AC adapter • 65-Watt • Auto sensing 90~264V ac, 47~63Hz Options • 128 MB/256 MB/512 MB/1GB memory upgrade mod ules • Additional Li-Io[...]

Appendix A Specifications 62 English[...]

Appendix B Notices[...]

This appendix lists the gene ral notices of your computer .[...]

65 English FCC notice This device has been tested a nd found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 o f the FCC Ru les. These limits are design ed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This device generates, uses , and can radiate radio frequency energy and, [...]

Appendix B Notices 66 English Notice: Canadian users This Class B digital apparatus m eets all requirements of the Canadia n Interference-Causing Equ ipment Regula tions. Remar que à l’intention de s utilisateurs canadiens Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respected toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brou illeur du Canada. [...]

67 English Important safety instructions Read these instructions carefully . Save these instructions for future reference. 1 Follow all warnings and instruct ions marked on the product. 2 Unplug this product from th e wall outlet before cleaning. Do no t use liquid cleaners or aerosol clean ers. Use a damp cloth fo r cleaning. 3 Do not us e this p [...]

Appendix B Notices 68 English controls may result in damage a nd will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restor e the product to normal cond ition. e If the pr oduct has bee n dropped or the cabin et has been d amaged f If the pr oduct ex hibits a dist inct c hange in performa nce, indi cating a need for service. 12 Replace t[...]

69 English Lithium battery statement The TravelMate 290 series uses th e lithium battery, models US18650G5 an d ICR18650 only. CAUTION Danger of explosion if battery is in correctly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batt eries according to local regulations. Re cycle if at all p[...]

Appendix B Notices 70 English LCD pixel statement The LCD unit is produc ed with high-prec ision manu facturin g techniques. Nevertheless, some pixe ls may occasionally misfire or appear as black or colored dots . Th is has no effect on the record ed imag e and does n ot cons titut e a malfunc tion. Macr ovision copyright pr otection notice This pr[...]

71 English Canada - Industry Canada (IC) • This device compl ies with RSS 210 o f Industry Ca nada. Europe - EU Declarat ion of Conformity This devi ce compli es with the standards liste d be low, follo wing the provisions of the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC: • ETSI EN 301 489-1/17 • ETSI EN 300 328-2 • EN 300 328 V1.4.1. USA - Federal Communic[...]

Appendix B Notices 72 English limits are designed to provide reas on able prot ection against har mful interference in a residentia l instal lat ion. This equipment generates, uses and can rad iate radi o frequency ene rgy and, if not installe d and used in accordan ce with the instructions, may ca use harmful interference to radio co mmunications.[...]

73 Index A AC adapter caring for v AcerMedia drive 23 audio 26 adjusting the volum e 26 trouble shootin g 50 B battery pack caring for v BIOS utility 45 brightness hotkeys 18 C caps lock 14 on indicator 13 care AC adapter v battery pack v computer iv CD-ROM ejecting 24 ejecting manually 5 0 trouble shootin g 50 cleaning computer vi computer bringin[...]

Index 74 error 53 modem 37 N network 38 notice DVD copyright pr otection 70 num lock 14 on indicator 13 numeric keypad num lock 15 O online services 54 options memory upgrade 42 P password 33 types 33 PC Card 40 ejecting 41 inserting 41 ports 37 POST (power-on self-test) 45 printer trouble shootin g 51 problems 49 CD-ROM 50 display 49 keyboard 50 p[...]