Acer TravelMate 540 Series User Manual Download

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1 Getting to know your TravelMate

Englis

Indicators

The computer has seven easy-to-read status icons below the display
screen and on the front. .

Icon

Function

Description

Power

Lights green when the computer is on and
lights orange when the computer is in
Standby mode.

Media activity

Lights when the Hard Disk is active.

Battery charge

Lights green when the battery is being
charged.

Lights orange when the battery power is low
and is being charged.

Wireless
Communication

(applicable only
when Wireless
LAN or Bluetooth
installed)

Lights orange when the Wireless LAN
capabilities are enabled.

Lignts blue when Bluetooth capabilities are
enabled.

TM540-e.book Page 12 Wednesday, August 20, 2003 11:30 AM

Summary of Contents for TravelMate 540 Series

Page 1: ...TravelMate 540 series User s guide ...

Page 2: ...ndence concerning your unit should include the serial number model number and purchase information No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopy recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated Model number _________________________________ Serial number _________...

Page 3: ...bal acer com First off the Just for Starters poster helps you get started with setting up your computer This User s Guide introduces you to the many ways your computer can help you be more productive This guide provides clear and concise information about the computer so read it thoroughly If you ever need to print out a copy this User s guide is also available in PDF Portable Document Format Foll...

Page 4: ...help for more information Use the customized functions for power management You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover or by pressing the sleep hot key Fn F4 Note If you cannot power off the computer normally press and hold the power button for more than four seconds to shut down the computer If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on again wait at least two seconds ...

Page 5: ...lugging the power cord do not pull on the cord itself but pull on the plug The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord Also the total current rating of all equipment plugged into a single wall outlet should not exceed the fuse rating Taking care of your battery pack Here are some ways to take care of your b...

Page 6: ...aners 4 To clean the display screen use an LCD cleaning kit If any of the following occurs The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged Liquid has been spilled into the product The computer does not operate normally Please refer to Troubleshooting my computer on page 49 ...

Page 7: ...4 Using software 25 Audio 26 Adjusting the volume 26 Power management 27 Moving around with your TravelMate 28 Disconnecting from the desktop 28 Moving around 28 Taking the computer home 29 Traveling with the computer 31 Traveling internationally with the computer 31 Securing your computer 33 Using a computer security lock 33 Using passwords 34 2 Customizing my computer 37 Expanding through option...

Page 8: ...lish 3 Troubleshooting my computer 49 Frequently asked questions 51 Requesting service 54 International Traveler s Warranty ITW 54 Before you call 54 Appendix A Specifications 57 Appendix B Notices 63 Index 73 ...

Page 9: ...1 Getting to know your TravelMate ...

Page 10: ...ter combines high performance versatility power management features and multimedia capabilities with a unique style and ergonomic design Work with unmatched productivity and reliability with your new power computing partner ...

Page 11: ...d your new TravelMate computer Front view Item Description 1 Display screen Also called LCD liquid crystal display displays computer output 2 Launch keys Special keys for launching internet browser E Mail program and frequently used programs See Launch Keys on page 20 for more details 3 Power button Turns on the computer power ...

Page 12: ... g infrared printer IR aware computer 7 Floppy disc drive or card reader if installed Reads writes data from to the media 8 Floppy eject button Ejects floppy disc N A when card reader installed 9 Speakers Outputs sound 10 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the computer 11 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer 12 Status indicators LEDs light emitting diode that turn on ...

Page 13: ...ve tray 4 Emergency eject slot Ejects the drive tray when the computer is turned off See page 52 for more details 5 PC Card eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot 6 PC Card slots Accepts two type II or one type III PC Card 7 Headphone Speaker Line out jack Connects to audio line out devices e g headphones speakers 8 Microphone Line in jack Accepts audio line in devices e g microphone audio ...

Page 14: ...n and emergency eject hole may differ depending on the optical drive module installed Right view Item Description 1 USB port Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices e g USB mouse USB camera 2 Ventilation slot Enables the computer to stay cool even after prolonged use 3 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter ...

Page 15: ...display device with S video input 3 External display port Connects to a display device e g external monitor LCD projector 4 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device e g parallel printer 5 USB ports Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices e g USB mouse USB camera 6 Expansion port Connects to I O port replicator or expansion devices e g Acer EasyPort ...

Page 16: ...etting to know your TravelMate 8 English 7 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10 100 based network 8 IEEE 1394 port Connects to an IEEE 1394 device 9 Modem jack Connects to a phone line Item Description ...

Page 17: ...oling fans Help keep the computer cool Note Don t cover or obstruct the opening of the fans 4 HDD Houses the computer s Hard Disk 5 FDD card reader cable connector cover Accesses the cable connectors for the FDD or card reader 6 AcerMedia Bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module 7 AcerMedia Bay release latch Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removing the optical drive ...

Page 18: ... Advanced Configuration Power Interface 1 0b supporting Standby and Hibernation power saving modes Display 14 1 Thin Film Transistor TFT Liquid Crystal Display LCD displaying 32 bit high true color up to 1024 x 768 eXtended Graphics Array XGA resolution 15 Thin Film Transistor TFT Liquid Crystal Display LCD displaying 32 bit high true color up to 1400 x 1050 Super eXtended Graphics Array SXGA reso...

Page 19: ...ort Fast Infrared FIR port Docking port for port replicator Inetgrated Invilink wireless LAN module Integrated Bluetooth module Human centric design and ergonomics Five launch keys including internet browser E Mail and three user programmable keys 4 way scroll button Sleek smooth and stylish design Full sized keyboard Ergonomically centered touchpad pointing device Expansion Two type II or one typ...

Page 20: ...lights orange when the computer is in Standby mode Media activity Lights when the Hard Disk is active Battery charge Lights green when the battery is being charged Lights orange when the battery power is low and is being charged Wireless Communication applicable only when Wireless LAN or Bluetooth installed Lights orange when the Wireless LAN capabilities are enabled Lignts blue when Bluetooth cap...

Page 21: ...13 English Caps lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated Num lock Lights when Num Lock is activated Scroll lock Lights when Scroll lock is activated Icon Function Description ...

Page 22: ...ps Lock is on all alphabetic characters typed are in uppercase Num Lock Fn F11 When Num Lock is on the embedded keypad is in numeric mode The keys function as a calculator complete with the arithmetic operators and Use this mode when you need to do a lot of numeric data entry A better solution would be to connect an external keypad Scroll Lock Fn F12 When Scroll Lock is on the screen moves one lin...

Page 23: ...the keyboard legend cursor control key symbols are not printed on the keys Desired access Num lock on Num lock off Number keys on embedded keypad Type numbers in a normal manner Cursor control keys on embedded keypad Hold Shift while using cursor control keys Hold Fn while using cursor control keys Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typing letters on embedded keypad Type the letters in a normal mann...

Page 24: ... Description Windows logo key Start button Combinations with this key perform shortcut functions Below are a few examples Tab Activates next taskbar button E Explores My Computer F Finds Document M Minimizes All Shift M Undoes Minimize All R Displays the Run dialog box Application key Opens a context menu same as a right click ...

Page 25: ...g the other key in the hot key combination Hot key Icon Function Description Fn F1 Hot key help Displays help on hot keys Fn F2 Setup Launch Notebook Manager Fn F3 Power management scheme toggle Switches the power management scheme used by the computer function available if supported by operating system See Power management on page 27 Fn F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep mode See Power managemen...

Page 26: ...ank Turns the display screen backlight off to save power Press any key to return Fn F7 Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad on and off Fn F8 Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and off Fn Volume up Increases the speaker volume Fn Volume down Decreases the speaker volume Fn Brightness up Increases the screen brightness Fn Brightness down Decreases the screen brightness Hot key Icon Function...

Page 27: ...gs Control Panel 2 Double click on Keyboard 3 Click on the Language tab 4 Verify that the keyboard layout used for En English United States is set to United States International If not select and click on Properties then select United States International and click on OK 5 Click on OK To verify the keyboard type in Windows XP follow the steps below 1 Click on Start Control Panel 2 Double click on ...

Page 28: ...to www microsoft com typography faq faq12 htm for more information Launch Keys Located at the top of the keyboard are five buttons These buttons are called launch keys They are designated as P1 P2 P3 E Mail button and Web browser button Wireless Communication Button To the left of these five launch keys is the wireless communication button This button works to activate wireless LAN and or Bluetoot...

Page 29: ...count you can fill in User Name Password and POP3 Server in the dialog box The POP3 Server is the mail Server where you get your E Mail Aside from the E Mail checking function there is a mail button that is used to launch the E Mail application It is located above the keyboard right below the LCD Launch key Default application P1 User programmable P2 User programmable P3 User programmable E Mail E...

Page 30: ...sing an external USB mouse you can press Fn F7 to disable the touchpad Touchpad basics The following items teach you how to use the touchpad Move your finger across the touchpad to move the cursor Press the left 1 and right 3 buttons located on the edge of the touchpad to do selection and execution functions These two buttons are similar to the left and right buttons on a mouse Tapping on the touc...

Page 31: ... Tapping harder will not increase the touchpad s responsiveness Function Left button Right button Scroll button Tap Execute Click twice quickly Tap twice at the same speed as double clicking a mouse button Select Click once Tap once Drag Click and hold then use finger to drag the cursor on the touchpad Tap twice at the same speed as double clicking a mouse button then hold finger to the touchpad o...

Page 32: ...ms and data are stored Optical drive The optical drive bay accepts a wide variety of optional media drive modules for use with your computer These optional items include CD ROM drive DVD ROM drive DVD CD RW combo drive DVD RW drive DVD Dual drive Ejecting the optical drive tray To eject the optical drive tray when the computer is turned on press the drive eject button When the power is off you can...

Page 33: ...a maximum of five times including the first time after which the last region code set will remain permanently Recovering your Hard Disk does not reset the number of times the region code has been set Refer to the table below for DVD movie region code information 2 The DVD movie will automatically play after a few seconds Note To change the region code insert a DVD movie of a different region into ...

Page 34: ... in microphone and dual stereo speakers There are audio ports on the left side of the computer See Left view on page 5 for more information on connecting external audio devices Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on the computer is as easy as pressing some buttons See Hot keys on page 17 for more information on adjusting the speaker volume ...

Page 35: ...or any connected peripherals If no activity is detected for a period of time called an inactivity timeout the computer stops some or all of these devices in order to conserve energy This computer employs a power management scheme that supports ACPI Advanced Configuration and Power Interface which allows for maximum power conservation and maximum performance at the same time Windows handles all pow...

Page 36: ...ing device printer monitor and other external devices 7 Disconnect the Kensington lock if you are using one to secure the computer Moving around Preparing the computer If you are just moving short distances for example from your office desk to a meeting room Before moving the computer close and latch the display cover to place it in Sleep mode You can now safely take the computer anywhere you go w...

Page 37: ... that you probably do not need to bring anything with you other than the computer What to bring to long meetings If your meeting will last longer than 2 0 2 5 hours or if your battery is not fully charged you may want to bring the AC adapter with you to plug in your computer in the meeting room If the meeting room does not have an electrical outlet reduce the drain on the battery by putting the co...

Page 38: ...nd cannot take the computer with you leave the computer in the trunk of the car to avoid exposing the computer to excessive heat Changes in temperature and humidity can cause condensation Allow the computer to return to room temperature and inspect the screen for condensation before turning on the computer If the temperature change is greater than 18 F 10 C allow the computer to come to room tempe...

Page 39: ...g items with you AC adapter Spare fully charged battery pack s 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 safe but do not put the computer through a metal detector Avo...

Page 40: ...ns Follow the same special considerations as when traveling with the computer In addition these tips are useful when traveling internationally When traveling in another country check that the local AC voltage and the AC adapter power cord specifications are compatible If not purchase a power cord that is compatible with the local AC voltage Do not use converter kits sold for appliances to power th...

Page 41: ...cks a security notch and passwords Using a computer security lock A security keylock notch located on the rear panel of the computer lets you connect a Kensington compatible computer security lock Wrap the computer security lock cable around an immovable object such as a table or locked drawer handle Insert the lock into the notch and turn the key to secure the lock Some keyless locks are also ava...

Page 42: ...n BIOS set up protects your data by preventing unauthorized access to your Hard Disk Even if the Hard Disk is removed from the computer and moved to another computer it cannot be accessed without the Hard Disk Password Important Do not forget your Supervisor and Hard Disk Password If you forget your password please get in touch with your dealer or an authorized service center Entering passwords Wh...

Page 43: ...three tries the system halts Slide and hold the power button for four seconds to shut down the computer Then turn on the computer again and try again If you fail to enter the Hard Disk Password please contact your dealer or an authorized service center Setting passwords You can set passwords using the BIOS Utility ...

Page 44: ...1 Getting to know your TravelMate 36 English ...

Page 45: ...2 Customizing my computer ...

Page 46: ... basics of your TravelMate computer let s get acquainted with the advanced features of your computer In this chapter you will learn how to add options upgrade components for better performance and customize your computer ...

Page 47: ...sktop PC Fax data modem Your computer has a built in V 92 56 Kbps AC 97 Link fax data modem Warning This modem port is not compatible with digital phone lines Plugging this modem into a digital phone line will damage the modem To use the fax data modem port connect a phone cable from the modem port to a telephone jack Start your communications software program See your communications manual for in...

Page 48: ...network To use the network feature connect an Ethernet cable from the network jack on the rear of the computer to a network jack or hub on your network Universal Serial Bus The Universal Serial Bus USB port is a high speed serial bus which allows you to connect and daisy chain USB peripherals without taking up precious system resources Your computer has three ports available ...

Page 49: ...it card sized 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 afforded by desktop PCs Popular PC Cards include flash memory SRAM fax data modem LAN and SCSI cards CardBus improves on the 16 bit PC Card technology by expanding the...

Page 50: ... g network cable if necessary See your card manual for details Ejecting a PC Card Before ejecting a PC Card 1 Exit the application using the card 2 Left click on the PC Card icon on the taskbar and stop the card operation 3 Press the slot eject button to pop out the eject button a then press it again to eject the card b ...

Page 51: ...The Acer EasyPort s two USB ports will function when plugged in however only one of the ports on the machine will function due to the limitations of the system chipset The USB port closest to the parallel port on the EasyPort supports USB2 0 Upgrade options Your computer delivers superior power and performance However some users and the applications they use may demand more This computer allows yo...

Page 52: ...ts on your computer one of which is occupied by the standard memory You can upgrade memory by installing a memory module into the available slot or replacing the standard memory with a higher capacity memory module Installing memory Follow these steps to install memory 1 Turn off the computer unplug the AC adapter if connected and remove the battery pack Then turn the computer over to access its b...

Page 53: ...then gently press it down b until it clicks into place 4 Replace the memory cover and secure it with the screws 5 Reinstall the battery pack and reconnect the AC adapter 6 Turn on the computer The computer automatically detects and reconfigures the total memory size ...

Page 54: ...dware configurations To start the Notebook Manager press Fn F2 or follow these steps 1 Click on Start Programs then Notebook Manager 2 Select the Notebook Manager application to run the program Click on Help for more information Launch Manager Launch Manager allows you to set the five launch keys located above the keyboard See Launch Keys on page 20 for the location of the launch keys You can acce...

Page 55: ...ter s BIOS Basic Input Output System Your computer is already properly configured and optimized and you do not need to run this utility However if you encounter configuration problems you may need to run it To activate the BIOS Utility press F2 during the POST power on self test while the TravelMate logo is being displayed See your online guide for more information ...

Page 56: ...2 Customizing my computer 48 English ...

Page 57: ...3 Troubleshooting my computer ...

Page 58: ... 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 by yourself Contact your dealer or an authorized service center for assistance ...

Page 59: ...n bootable non system discette in the floppy drive Remove or replace it with a system discette and press Ctrl Alt Del to restart the system The operating system files may be damaged or missing Insert the startup disc you created during Windows setup into the floppy drive and press Ctrl Alt Del to restart the system This will diagnose your system and make necessary fixes Nothing appears on the scre...

Page 60: ...olume may be muted In Windows look at the volume control speaker icon on the taskbar If it is crossed out click on the icon and deselect the Mute option The speakers may be turned off Press Fn F8 to turn the speakers on this hot key also turns the speakers off The volume level may be too low In Windows look at the volume control icon on the taskbar You can also use the volume control buttons to ad...

Page 61: ...e that the printer cable is connected securely to the computer s parallel port and the corresponding port on the printer During POST press F2 to access the BIOS Utility and verify that the parallel port is enabled I want to set up my location to use the internal modem To properly use your communications software e g HyperTerminal you need to set up your location for Windows XP 1 Click on Start Con...

Page 62: ...especially when you travel to receive assistance from our support centers Place your proof of purchase in the flap located inside the front cover of the ITW passport If the country you are traveling in does not have an Acer authorized ITW service site you can still get in contact with our offices worldwide Please consult www acersupport com Before you call Please have the following information ava...

Page 63: ...______________ Address ______________________________________ ______________________________________________ Telephone number ____________________________ Machine and model type _______________________ Serial number _________________________________ Date of purchase ______________________________ ...

Page 64: ...3 Troubleshooting my computer 56 English ...

Page 65: ...Appendix A Specifications ...

Page 66: ...This appendix lists the general specifications of your computer ...

Page 67: ...e or 5 in 1 card reader Display and video Thin Film Transistor TFT Liquid Crystal Display LCD displaying 32 bit true color up to 1024 x 768 eXtended Graphics Array XGA resolution for 14 1 or 1400 x 1050 Super eXtended Graphics Array SXGA resolution for 15 0 8X AGP bus with 3D acceleration Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support Dual display capability S video for output to a television or display...

Page 68: ...el port ECP EPP One external monitor port One headphone speaker line out jack 3 5 mm mini jack One microphone line in jack 3 5 mm mini jack Three USB ports One IEEE 1394 port One S video TV out NTSC PAL port One Fast Infrared port One 100 pin port replicator connector Weight and dimensions 327 W x 275 5 D x 41 6 44 1 H mm 3 5 kg 7 6 lbs for 14 1 LCD model 3 6 kg 7 9 lbs for 15 0 LCD model Environm...

Page 69: ... Power Battery pack 69 63 Wh Li ion battery pack 3 hour rapid charge 6 hour charge in use AC adapter 90 Watt with 19 V DC output Auto sensing 90 284 VAC 47 63 Hz Options 128 256 512 MB memory upgrade modules Additional Li ion battery pack Additional AC adapter Acer EasyPort replicator ...

Page 70: ...Appendix A Specifications 62 English ...

Page 71: ...Appendix B Notices ...

Page 72: ...This appendix lists the general notices of your computer ...

Page 73: ...and receiver Connect the device into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio television technician for help Notice Shielded cables All connections to other computing devices must be made using shielded cables to maintain compliance with FCC regulations Notice Peripheral devices Only peripherals input output devices te...

Page 74: ...u will be notified as soon as possible You will also be informed of your right to file a complaint with the FCC 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 equipment shou...

Page 75: ...r company 7 Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord Do not locate this product where persons will walk on the cord 8 If an extension cord is used with this product make sure that the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating Also make sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not ...

Page 76: ...E approved or its equivalent Maximum length is 15 feet 4 6 meters 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 PRODUCT CAUTION INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM APPAREIL A LASER DE CLASSE 1 PRODUIT LASERATTENTION RADIATION DU FAISCEAU LA...

Page 77: ...ktig skifte av batteri Benytt samme batteritype eller en tilsvarende type anbefalt av apparatfabrikanten Brukte batterier kasseres i henhold til fabrikantens instruksjoner VARNING Explosionsfara vid felaktigt batteribyte Anvãnd samma batterityp eller en ekvivalent typ som rekommenderas av apparattillverkaren Kassera anvãnt batteri enligt fabrikantens instruktion VAROITUS Päristo voi räjähtää jos s...

Page 78: ...ess otherwise authorized by Macrovision Corporation Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited Apparatus Claims of U S Patent Nos 4 631 603 4 577 216 4 819 098 and 4 907 093 licensed for limited viewing uses only A Tick notice For safety reasons only connect headsets with a telecommunications compliance label This includes customer equipment previously labelled permitted or certified The uni...

Page 79: ...interference that may cause undesired operation Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation The radiated output power of the Wireless module is far below the FCC radio frequency exposure limits Nevertheless the Wireless module shall be used in such a manner that the potential for human contact during normal operation is minimized The transmitter and the antenna are permanently installed inside the noteb...

Page 80: ...user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help FCC Caution To assure continued complian...

Page 81: ...ing around 28 on indicator 12 performance 10 security 33 setting up a home office 30 taking home 29 traveling internationally 31 traveling on local trips 31 troubleshooting 50 turning off iv connections network 40 D display hotkeys 18 troubleshooting 51 52 DVD 25 DVD movies playing 25 E email checking function 21 Euro 19 F FAQ See frequently asked questions frequently asked questions 51 front view...

Page 82: ... troubleshooting 50 Q questions setting location for modem use 53 S safety CD ROM 68 FCC notice 65 general instructions 67 modem notices 66 scroll lock 14 security keylock 33 passwords 34 smart card 34 service when to call vi speakers hotkey 18 troubleshooting 52 specifications 58 Standby mode hotkey 17 status indicators 12 storage 24 AcerMedia drive 24 hard disk 24 support information 54 T touchp...

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