HP dv6 7138us - Manual

More HP resources You have already used Setup Instructions to turn on the computer and locate this guide. For product details, how-to information, and more, use this table. Resource Contents Setup Instructions ● Overview of computer setup and features. Help and Support To access Help and Support, se...

2 Getting to know your computer Finding your hardware and software information ▲ Select Start > Computer . A list displays all the devices installed in your computer, including optical drives, solid-state drives(SSDs), or a secondary hard drive. To find out what software is included on your compu...

Right side Component Description (1) Optical drive Reads and writes (select models only) to an optical disc. (2) Optical drive light ● Green: The optical drive is being accessed. ● Off: The optical drive is idle. (3) Optical drive eject button Releases the disc tray. (4) Power light ● White: The com...

Left side Component Description (1) Vent Enables airflow to cool internal components. NOTE: The computer fan starts up automatically to cool internal components and prevent overheating. It is normalfor the internal fan to cycle on and off during routineoperation. (2) External monitor port Connects a...

Display Refer to the illustration that most closely matches your computer. Component Description (1) WLAN antennas (2)* Send and receive wireless signals to communicate with wirelesslocal area networks (WLANs). (2) Internal microphones (2) Record sound. (3) HP TrueVision HD Webcam Records video, cap...

Top TouchPad Component Description (1) TouchPad on/off button Turns the TouchPad on or off. (2) TouchPad light ● On: The TouchPad is off. ● Off: The TouchPad is on. (3) TouchPad zone Moves the on-screen pointer and selects or activates itemson the screen. (4) Left TouchPad button Functions like the ...

Lights Component Description (1) Power light ● White: The computer is on. ● Blinking white: The computer is in the Sleep state,which is an energy-saving mode. The computer shutsoff power to the display and other unneededcomponents. ● Off: The computer is off or in Hibernation. Hibernationis an energ...

Keys Component Description (1) esc key Displays system information when pressed in combinationwith the fn key. (2) fn key Executes frequently used system functions when pressedin combination with the esc key or the b key. (3) Windows logo key Displays the Windows Start menu. (4) b key Enables or dis...

Bottom Component Description (1) Battery bay Holds the battery. (2) Battery release latch Releases the battery from the battery bay and opens theservice door. (3) Vents (3) Enable airflow to cool internal components. NOTE: The computer fan starts up automatically to cool internal components and prev...

3 Connecting to a network Your computer can travel with you wherever you go. But even at home, you can explore the globeand access information from millions of websites using your computer and a wired or wirelessnetwork connection. This chapter will help you get connected to that world. Connecting t...

Using the wireless button The computer has a wireless button, one or more wireless devices, and one or two wireless lights,depending on the model. All of the wireless devices on your computer are enabled at the factory, sothe wireless light is on (white) when you turn on the computer. The wireless l...

Using a WLAN With a WLAN device, you can access a wireless local area network (WLAN), which is composed ofother computers and accessories that are linked by a wireless router or a wireless access point. NOTE: The terms wireless router and wireless access point are often used interchangeably. ● A lar...

Connecting to a WLAN To connect to the WLAN, follow these steps: 1. Be sure that the WLAN device is on. If the device is on, the wireless light is on. If the wirelesslight is off, press the wireless button. NOTE: On some models, the wireless light is amber when all wireless devices are off. 2. Click...

4 Enjoying entertainment features Use your HP computer as an entertainment hub to socialize via the webcam, enjoy and manage yourmusic, and download and watch movies. Or, to make your computer an even more powerfulentertainment center, connect external devices, like speakers, headphones, monitor, pr...

To start the webcam, select Start > All Programs > Communication and Chat > CyberLink YouCam . For details about using the webcam, select Start > Help and Support . Using audio On your HP computer, you can play music CDs, download and listen to music, stream audio contentfrom the web (in...

Connecting headphones You can connect wired headphones to the headphone jack on the computer. To connect wireless headphones or speakers to your computer, follow the device manufacturer's instructions. WARNING! To reduce the risk of personal injury, adjust the volume before putting on headphones, ea...

Checking the sound To check the audio functions on your computer, follow these steps: 1. Select Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound . 2. When the Sound window opens, click the Sounds tab. Under Program Events , select any sound event, such as a beep or alarm, and click the Te...

Connecting a VGA monitor or projector To see the computer screen image on an external VGA monitor or projected for a presentation,connect a monitor or projector to the computer's VGA port. To connect a monitor or projector: 1. Connect the VGA cable from the monitor or projector to the VGA port on th...

Connecting an HDMI TV or monitor To see the computer screen image on a high-definition TV or monitor, connect the high-definitiondevice according to the following instructions. To connect an HDMI device to your computer, you need an HDMI cable, sold separately. To connect a high-definition TV or mon...

Configuring audio settings (with HDMI TV) HDMI is the only video interface that supports high-definition video and audio . After you connect an HDMI TV to the computer, you can then turn on HDMI audio by following these steps: 1. Right-click the Speaker icon in the notification area, at the far righ...

Using the keyboard The keyboard allows you to type and the action keys and hot keys allow you to perform specificfunctions. For more details about the keyboard keys, see Keys on page 14 . NOTE: Depending on the country or region, your keyboard may have different keys and keyboard functions than thos...

Using the hot keys A hot key is a combination of the fn key and either the esc key or the b key. To use a hot key: ▲ Briefly press the fn key, and then briefly press the second key of the combination. Function Hot key Description Display system information. fn + esc Displays information about system...

Using the TouchPad Component Description (1) TouchPad light ● On: The TouchPad is off. ● Off: The TouchPad is on. (2) TouchPad on/off button Turns the TouchPad on or off. (3) TouchPad zone Moves the on-screen pointer and selects or activates itemson the screen. (4) Left TouchPad button Functions lik...

Using TouchPad gestures The TouchPad supports a variety of gestures that let your fingers swipe, pinch, and rotate tomanipulate items on the desktop. To use TouchPad gestures, place two fingers on the TouchPad atthe same time. NOTE: TouchPad gestures are not supported in all programs. To view the de...

Scrolling Scrolling is useful for moving up, down, or sideways on a page or image. To scroll, place two fingersslightly apart on the TouchPad, and then drag them across the TouchPad in an up, down, left, or rightmotion. NOTE: Scrolling speed is controlled by finger speed. Pinching/Zooming Pinching a...

Rotating Rotating allows you to rotate items such as photos. To rotate, anchor your left forefinger in theTouchPad zone. Move the right forefinger around the anchored finger in a sweeping motion, movingfrom 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock. To reverse the rotation, move your right forefinger from 3 o’clock t...

6 Managing power Your computer can operate on either battery power or external power. When the computer is onlyrunning on battery power and an AC power source is not available to charge the battery, it isimportant to monitor and conserve the battery charge. Your computer supports power plans tomanag...

Using Sleep or Hibernation Microsoft Windows has two power-saving states, Sleep and Hibernation. NOTE: For select models, the Intel Rapid Start Technology (RST) feature is enabled at the factory. Rapid Start Technology allows your computer to resume quickly from inactivity. Rapid Start Technology ma...

Running on battery power When a charged battery is in the computer and the computer is not plugged into external power, thecomputer runs on battery power and the display brightness decreases to conserve battery life. Thebattery in the computer slowly discharges when the computer is off and unplugged...

Conserving battery power Use the following tips for conserving battery power and maximizing battery life: ● Lower the brightness on the display. ● Select the Power saver setting in Power Options. ● Remove the battery from the computer when it is not being used or charged. ● Turn off wireless devices...

Disposing of a user-replaceable battery WARNING! To reduce the risk of fire or burns, do not disassemble, crush, or puncture; do not short external contacts; do not dispose of in fire or water. See the Regulatory, Safety and Environmental Notices for proper battery disposal. To access this guide, se...

Using HP CoolSense (select models only) HP CoolSense automatically detects when the computer is not in a stationary position and adjusts performance and fan settings to keep the surface temperature of your computer at theoptimum level of comfort. When HP CoolSense is off, the position of the compute...

7 Managing and sharing information Drives are digital storage devices or solid-state drives that help you store, manage, share, andaccess information. Your computer has an internal hard drive that stores your computer's software,operating system, as well as providing storage for all of your personal...

Inserting and removing digital storage cards To insert a digital storage card: CAUTION: To reduce the risk of damage to the digital card connectors, use minimal force to insert a digital card. 1. Hold the card label-side up, with the connectors facing the computer. 2. Insert the card into the digita...

Using optical drives An optical disc drive uses laser light to read or store large amounts of information. Some drives canonly read information, but others can also write (burn) information onto a blank disc. Use these tips for best performance of your optical drive: ● When the battery is the only s...

such a BD movie release is inserted in the drive. Follow the on-screen instructions to install theupdate. ● If lines appear on the display when viewing a BD, they may be caused by interference from thewireless network. To resolve the issue, close any open applications and turn off your wirelessfeatu...

Removing an optical disc 1. Press the release button (1) on the drive bezel to release the disc tray, and then gently pull out the tray (2) until it stops. 2. Remove the disc (3) from the tray by gently pressing down on the spindle while lifting the outer edges of the disc. Hold the disc by the edge...

8 Maintaining your computer It is important to perform regular maintenance to keep your computer in optimal condition. Thischapter provides information about improving the performance of your computer by running toolssuch as Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup and by replacing a hard drive or adding ...

● Do not type on the keyboard or move the computer while an optical drive is writing to a disc. Thewrite process is sensitive to vibration. ● Before you move a computer that is connected to an external hard drive, initiate Sleep and allowthe screen to clear, or properly disconnect the external hard ...

Adding or replacing memory modules Adding memory can help improve your computer's performance. Your computer is like your physicalwork area. The hard drive is the filing cabinet where you store your work and the memory is the deskwhere you work. When your memory isn’t big enough to hold all your wor...

Updating programs and drivers HP recommends that you update your programs and drivers on a regular basis to the latest versions.Updates can resolve issues and bring new features and options to your computer. Technology isalways changing, and updating programs and drivers allows your computer to run ...

Traveling with or shipping your computer If you have to travel with or ship your computer, here are some tips to keep in mind to keep yourequipment safe. ● Prepare the computer for traveling or shipping: ◦ Back up your information to an external drive. ◦ Remove all discs and all external media cards...

Setting Windows passwords Password Function User password Protects access to a Windows user account. You may alsoset up your computer to require the user password to exitSleep or Hibernation. See Setting password protection on wakeup on page 43 for more information. Administrator password Protects a...

Using the fingerprint reader (select models only) Integrated fingerprint readers are available on select computer models. In order to use the fingerprintreader, you must set up a user account and password on the computer and then register one or morefingerprints using HP SimplePass software. For the...

Using Internet security software When you use your computer to access email, a network, or the Internet, you potentially expose yourcomputer to computer viruses, spyware, and other online threats. To help protect your computer,Internet security software that includes antivirus and firewall features ...

Installing software updates HP, Microsoft Windows, and third-party software installed on your computer should be regularlyupdated to correct security problems and improve software performance. For more information, see Updating programs and drivers on page 62 . Installing Windows security updates Up...

Securing your wireless network When you set up your wireless network, always enable security features. For more information, see Protecting your WLAN on page 21 . Backing up your software applications and information Regularly back up your software applications and information to protect them from b...

10 Using Setup Utility (BIOS) and System Diagnostics Setup Utility, or Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), controls communication between all the input andoutput devices on the system (such as disk drives, display, keyboard, mouse, and printer). SetupUtility (BIOS) includes settings for the types of d...

Determining the BIOS version To determine whether available BIOS updates contain later BIOS versions than those currentlyinstalled on the computer, you need to know the version of the system BIOS currently installed. BIOS version information (also known as ROM date and System BIOS ) can be displayed...

4. Double-click the file that has an .exe extension (for example, filename .exe). The BIOS installation begins. 5. Complete the installation by following the on-screen instructions. NOTE: After a message on the screen reports a successful installation, you can delete the downloaded file from your ha...

11 Backing up, restoring, and recovering Your computer includes tools provided by the operating system and HP to help you safeguard yourinformation and retrieve it if ever needed. Creating backups 1. Use HP Recovery Manager to create recovery media immediately after you set up the workingcomputer. 2...

What you need to know ● Only one set of recovery media can be created. Handle these recovery tools carefully, and keepthem in a safe place. ● HP Recovery Manager examines the computer and determines the required storage capacity forthe flash drive or the number of blank DVD discs that will be requir...

What you need to know ● If you restore to a restore point and then change your mind, you can undo the restoration. ● You should create system restore points: ◦ Before you add or change software or hardware ◦ Periodically, whenever the computer is running normally ● System Restore also saves shadow c...

Restore and recovery Restoring to a previous system restore point Sometimes installing a software program causes your computer or Windows to behave unpredictably.Usually uninstalling the software fixes the problems. If uninstalling does not fix the problems, you canrestore the computer to a previous...

● If the recovery media do not work, you can obtain recovery discs for your system from the HPwebsite. ● The Minimized Image Recovery option is recommended for advanced users only. All hardware-related drivers and software are re-installed, but other software applications are not. Do notinterrupt th...

12 Specifications Input power The power information in this section may be helpful if you plan to travel internationally with thecomputer. The computer operates on DC power, which can be supplied by an AC or a DC power source. TheAC power source must be rated at 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz. Although the com...

Operating environment Factor Metric U.S. Temperature Operating 5°C to 35°C 41°F to 95°F Nonoperating -20°C to 85°C -4°F to 185°F Relative humidity (noncondensing) Operating 5% to 95% 5% to 95% Nonoperating 5% to 95% 5% to 95% Maximum altitude (unpressurized) Operating -15 m to 3,048 m -50 ft to 10,0...

13 Troubleshooting and support ● Troubleshooting ● Contacting customer support 83

Troubleshooting Disc drive problems If the disc tray fails to open normally, follow these steps: 1. Insert the end of a paper clip into the release access (1) in the front bezel of the drive. 2. Press in gently on the paper clip until the tray is released, and then pull out the tray (2) until it sto...

Cannot connect to a WLAN If you have a problem connecting to a WLAN, confirm that the integrated WLAN device is turned onand properly installed on your computer. 1. If the wireless light is off or amber, press the wireless button, wireless switch, or wireless key toturn the wireless device on. 2. Th...

Cannot connect to the wireless router If you are trying to connect to the wireless router and are unsuccessful, reset the wireless router byremoving power from the router for 10 to 15 seconds. If the computer still cannot make a connection to a WLAN, restart the wireless router. For details, seethe ...

Power management problems Some possible causes for power management problems include the following: ● Low battery levels ● AC adapter problems Resolving a low battery level Resolving a low battery level when external power is available ● Connect an AC adapter. ● Connect an optional docking or expans...

Contacting customer support If the information provided in this user guide or in Help and Support does not answer your questions,you can contact HP Customer Support at http://www.hp.com/go/contactHP . NOTE: For worldwide support, click Contact HP worldwide on the left side of the page, or go to http...

14 Electrostatic Discharge Electrostatic discharge is the release of static electricity when two objects come into contact—forexample, the shock you receive when you walk across the carpet and touch a metal door knob. A discharge of static electricity from fingers or other electrostatic conductors m...

Index A AC adapter 5action keys decrease screen brightness 33 Help and Support 33identifying 14increase screen brightness 33next track or section 34play, pause, resume 34previous track or section 34radiance backlight keyboard 34 switch screen image 33volume down 34volume mute 34volume up 34wireless ...