Acer 2450 - User Manual

viii First things first We would like to thank you for making an 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: Basic care and tips for using your computer Turning your computer on and off To turn o...

ix To turn the power off, do any of the following: • Use the Windows shutdown commandClick on Start, Turn Off Computer, then click on Turn Off. • Use the power buttonYou can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover, or by pressing the sleep hotkey <Fn> + <F4>. Note: If yo...

Information for your safety and comfort iii Safety instructions iii Disposal instructions v Tips and information for comfortable use vi First things first viii Your guides viii Basic care and tips for using your computer viii Turning your computer on and off viii Taking care of your computer ix Taki...

1 Em powe ring Tech nology Acer Empowering Technology Acer's innovative Empowering Technology toolbar makes it easy for you to access frequently used functions and manage your new Acer computer. Displayed by default in the upper-right corner of your screen, it features the following handy utilities:...

2 Em po w eri ng Te ch no lo g y Acer eLock Management Acer eLock Management is a security utility that allows you to lock your removable data, optical and floppy drives to ensure that data can't be stolen while your notebook is unattended. • Removable data devices — includes USB disk drives, USB pe...

4 Em po w eri ng Te ch no lo g y Acer ePerformance Management Acer ePerformance Management is a system optimization tool that boosts the performance of your Acer computer. It provides an express optimization method to release unused memory and disk space quickly. The user can also enable advanced op...

5 Em powe ring Tech nology Acer eRecovery Management Acer eRecovery Management is a powerful utility that does away with the need for recovery disks provided by the manufacturer. The Acer eRecovery Management utility occupies space in a hidden partition on your system's hard drive. By default, user-...

7 Em powe ring Tech nology Acer eSettings Management Acer eSettings Management allows you to inspect hardware specifications, change BIOS passwords or other Windows settings, and to monitor the system health status. Acer eSettings Management also: • Provides a simple graphical user interface for nav...

8 Em po w eri ng Te ch no lo g y Acer ePower Management Acer ePower Management features a straightforward user interface. To launch it, select Acer ePower Management from the Empowering Technology interface. AC mode (Adapter mode) The default setting is "Maximum Performance." You can adjust ...

11 Em powe ring Tech nology Acer ePresentation Management Acer ePresentation Management lets you project your computer's display to an external device or projector using the hot key: Fn + F5. If auto-detection hardware is implemented in the system and the external display supports it, your system di...

13 Eng lis h Your Acer notebook tour After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters... poster, let us show you around your new Acer notebook. Front view # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer output. 2 Keyboard For ente...

14 English Closed front view 5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the computer. 6 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording. 7 Easy-launch buttons Buttons for launching frequently used programs. See "Easy-launch buttons" on page 22 for more details. 8 Stat...

15 Eng lis h Left view 7 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD player, stereo walkman). 8 Headphones/speaker/line-out jack Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers, headphones). 9 Latch Locks and releases the lid. # Icon Item Description 1 Kensington lock slot Connects...

16 English Right view Rear view # Item Description 1 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs. 2 Optical disk access indicator Lights up when the optical drive is active. 3 Optical drive eject button Ejects the optical disk from the drive. 4 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical d...

17 Eng lis h Base view # Item Description 1 Battery lock Locks the battery in position. 2 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack. 3 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured with screws). 4 Acer DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection) Protects the hard disk drive from shocks and bumps...

18 English Specifications Operating system • Windows ® Vista ™ Capable • Genuine Windows ® XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2) • Genuine Windows ® XP Professional (Service Pack 2) Windows ® Vista ™ Capable PCs come with Windows ® XP installed, and can be upgraded to Windows ® Vista ™ . For more informa...

21 Eng lis h Indicators The computer has serveral easy-to-read status indicators: The front panel indicators are visible even when the computer cover is closed up Icon Function Description HDD Indicates when the hard disk drive is active. Caps Lock Lights up when Caps Lock is activated. Num Lock Lig...

23 Eng lis h Touchpad The built-in touchpad is a pointing device that senses movement on its surface. This means the cursor responds as you move your finger across the surface of the touchpad. The central location on the palmrest provides optimum comfort and support. Touchpad basics The following it...

25 Eng lis h 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 li...

26 English Windows keys The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions. Hotkeys The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access most of the computer's controls like screen brightness, volume output and the BIOS utility.To activate hotkeys, press and hold the <Fn> ...

28 English Special keys You can locate the Euro symbol and the US dollar sign at the upper-center and/or bottom-right of your keyboard. The Euro symbol 1 Open a text editor or word processor. 2 Either press < > at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold <Alt Gr> and then press the <...

29 Eng lis h Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray Press the drive eject button to eject the optical drive tray when the computer is on. Insert a clip to the emergency eject hole to eject the optical drive tray when the computer is off. Using a computer security lock The notebook comes with a ...

30 English Audio The computer comes with 32-bit Intel High-Definition audio, and built-in stereo speakers. Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on the computer is as easy as pressing some buttons. See "Hotkeys" on page 26 for more information on adjusting the speaker volume.

31 Eng lis h Using the system utilities Note: The system utilities work under Microsoft Windows XP only. Acer GridVista (dual-display compatible) Note: This feature is only available on certain models. To enable the dual monitor feature of your notebook, first ensure that the second monitor is conne...

32 English Acer GridVista is simple to set up:1 Run Acer GridVista and select your preferred screen configuration for each display from the taskbar. 2 Drag and drop each window into the appropriate grid. 3 Enjoy the convenience of a well-organized desktop. Note: Please ensure that the resolution set...

33 Eng lis h You can access the Launch Manager by clicking on Start, All Programs, and then Launch Manager to start the application. Norton AntiVirus Norton AntiVirus is an anti-virus software that finds and repairs infected files, and protects against viruses to keep your computer data safe and sec...

34 English Frequently asked questions The following is a list of possible situations that may arise during the use of your computer. Easy solutions are provided for each one. I turned on the power, but the computer does not start or boot up. Look at the power indicator: • If it is not lit, no power ...

37 Eng lis h To start the recovery process:1 Restart the system. 2 While the Acer logo is showing, press <Alt> + <F10> at the same time to enter the recovery process. 3 Refer to the onscreen instructions to perform system recovery. Important! This feature occupies 4 to 5 GB in a hidden p...

38 English Taking your notebook PC with you This section gives you tips and hints to consider when moving around or traveling with your computer. Disconnecting from the desktop Follow these steps to disconnect your computer from external accessories: 1 Save any open files. 2 Remove any media, floppy...

39 Eng lis h Note: If the Sleep indicator is off, the computer has entered Hibernation mode and is turned off. If the power indicator is off but the Sleep indicator is on, the computer has entered Sleep mode. In both cases, press and release the power button to turn the computer back on. Note that t...

40 English Special considerations Follow these guidelines to protect your computer while traveling to and from work: • Minimize the effects of temperature changes by keeping the computer with you. • If you need to stop for an extended period of time and cannot carry the computer with you, leave the ...

41 Eng lis h Special considerations In addition to the guidelines for taking the computer home, follow these guidelines to protect your computer while traveling: • Always take the computer as carry-on luggage. • If possible, have the computer inspected by hand. Airport security X-ray machines are sa...

42 English Securing your computer Your computer is a valuable investment that you need to take care of. Learn how to protect and take care of your computer. Security features include hardware and software locks — a security notch and passwords. Using a computer security lock The notebook comes with ...

43 Eng lis h Entering passwords When a password is set, a password prompt appears in the center of the display screen. • When the Supervisor Password is set, a prompt appears when you press <F2> to enter the BIOS utility at boot-up. • Type the Supervisor Password and press <Enter> to acc...

44 English Expanding through options Your notebook PC offers you a complete mobile computing experience. Connectivity options Ports allow you to connect peripheral devices to your computer as you would with a desktop PC. For instructions on how to connect different external devices to the computer, ...

45 Eng lis h Built-in network feature The built-in network feature allows you to connect your computer to an Ethernet-based network. To use the network feature, connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet (RJ-45) port on the chassis of the computer to a network jack or hub on your network. Universal...

46 English PC Card slot The Type II PC Card slot of the computer accepts PC Cards that enhance the usability and expandability of the computer. These cards should have a PC Card logo on them. PC Cards (formerly PCMCIA) are add-on cards for portable computers, giving you expansion possibilities long ...

47 Eng lis h 1 Turn off the computer, unplug the AC adapter (if connected) and remove the battery pack. Then turn the computer over to access its base. 2 Remove the screws from the memory cover; then lift up and remove the memory cover. 3 (a) Insert the memory module diagonally into the slot, then (...

48 English Enable disk-to-disk recovery To enable disk-to-disk recovery (hard disk recovery), activate the BIOS utility, then select Main from the categories listed at the top of the screen. Find D2D Recovery at the bottom of the screen and use the <F5> and <F6> keys to set this value to...

49 Eng lis h Power management This computer has a built-in power management unit that monitors system activity. System activity refers to any activity involving one or more of the following devices: keyboard, mouse, hard disk, peripherals connected to the computer, and video memory. If no activity i...

51 Eng lis h Create factory default image CD When the System CD and Recovery CD are not available, you can create them by using this feature.1 Boot to Windows XP. 2 Press <Alt> + <F10> to open the Acer eRecovery Management utility. 3 Enter the password to proceed. The default password is...

52 English Change password Acer eRecovery Management and Acer disk-to-disk recovery are protected by a password that can be changed by the user. Follow the steps below to change the password in Acer eRecovery Management.1 Boot to Windows XP. 2 Press <Alt> + <F10> to open the Acer eRecove...

53 Eng lish Eng lis h Troubleshooting This chapter shows you how to deal with common system problems. Read it before calling a technician if a problem occurs. Solutions to more serious problems require opening up the computer. Do not attempt to open the computer yourself; contact your dealer or auth...

55 Eng lish Eng lis h Regulations and safety notices ENERGY STAR guidelines compliance As an ENERGY STAR partner, Acer Inc. has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency. FCC notice This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class ...

56 English Operation conditions This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired ope...

57 Eng lish Eng lis h Your telephone company may make changes in its facilities, equipment, operations, or procedures that could affect the proper functioning of your equipment. If they do, you will be notified in advance to give you an opportunity to maintain uninterrupted telephone service.If this...

58 English Notice for New Zealand 1 The grant of a Telepermit for any item of terminal equipment indicates only that Telecom has accepted that the item complies with minimum conditions for connection to its network. It indicates no endorsement of the product by Telecom, nor does it provide any sort ...

59 Eng lish Eng lis h Laser compliance statement The CD or DVD drive used with this computer is a laser product. The CD or DVD drive's classification label (shown below) is located on the drive.CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCTCAUTION: INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN. AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM.APPAREIL A LASER...

60 English Radio device regulatory notice Note: Below regulatory information is for models with wireless LAN and/or Bluetooth only. General This product complies with the radio frequency and safety standards of any country or region in which it has been approved for wireless use. Depending on config...

61 Eng lish Eng lis h List of applicable countries EU member states as of May 2004 are: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slova...

63 Eng lish Eng lis h Federal Communications Comission Declaration of Conformity This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, in...

64 English Declaration of Conformity for CE Marking Is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of the following EC directives. The product specified above was tested conforming to the applicable Rules under the most accurate measurement standards possible, and all...

65 Eng lish Eng lis h LCD panel ergonomic specifications Design viewing distance 500 mm Design inclination angle 0.0° Design azimuth angle 90.0° Viewing direction range class Class IV Screen tilt angle 85.0° Design screen illuminance • Illuminance level: [250 + (250cos α )] lx where α = 85° • Color:...

66 English Index A AC adapter caring for ix audio adjusting the volume 30troubleshooting 35 B battery pack caring for x BIOS utility 47brightness hotkeys 27 C caps lock 25 on indicator 21 care AC adapter ixbattery pack xcomputer ix CD-ROM ejecting manually 35troubleshooting 35 cleaning computer x co...