AST Ascentia User Manual Download

Page: 12 / 124

Using Your Documentation 3

Special Features of the User’s Manual

Three types of messages with icons appear in the manual:

A note informs you of special circumstances.

A caution warns you of possible damage to
equipment.

A warning indicates the possibility of personal
injury.

Keys that you need to press to perform certain functions are
shown in the manual enclosed in angle brackets. For example,

<Ctrl>

indicates the control key (Ctrl on the computer’s keyboard).

If you need to press two keys at the same time, the key names are
shown joined by a plus sign. For example,

<Fn+F11>

means that you should press the Fn key and hold it and then
press the F11 key.

If you are new to using computers, see the Glossary. The
Glossary explains general computing terms that are used in this
manual and tells you about some of the differences between
portable computers and desktop computers.

3754-1.bk : 3754-1.fm Page 3 Wednesday, July 30, 1997 2:33 PM

Summary of Contents for Ascentia

Page 1: ...User s Manual TM ASCENTIA P e r s o n a l N o t e b o o k M ...

Page 2: ...User s Manual TM ASCENTIA P e r s o n a l N o t e b o o k M 003754 001 A July 1997 ...

Page 3: ... out in the interference causing equipment standard entitled Digital Apparatus ICES 003 of the Department of Communications Cet appareil numérique respecte les limites de bruits radioélectriques applicables aux appareils numériques de Classe B prescrites dans la norme sur le matérial brouilleur Appareils Numériques NMB 003 édictée par le ministre des Communications Industry Canada Notice The Indus...

Page 4: ...re revendeur agréé AST L emploi de tout autre modèle présente des risques d incendie ou d explosion Ne démontez pas la batterie ne portez pas sa température au dessus de 100o C et ne l incinérez pas Pour vous débarrasser d une batterie usagée veillez à respecter tous les règlements nationaux et locaux en vigueur INTERNATIONAL If your equipment has a CE Mark please note the following International ...

Page 5: ...ERE ER UDE AF FUNKTION SE IKKE IND I STRÅLEN HELLER IKKE MED OPTISKE INSTRUMENTER ADVARSEL USYNLIG LASERSTRÅLING NÅR DEKSEL ÅPNES OG SIKKERHEDSLÅS BRYTES STIRR IKKE INN I STRÅLEN ELLER SE DIREKTE MED OPTISKE INSTRUMENTER LUOKAN 1 LASERLAITE VAROITUS LAITTEEN KÄYTTÄMINEN MUULLA KUIN TÄSSÄ KÄYTTöOHJEESSA MAINITULLA TAVALLA SAATTAA ALTISTAA KÄYTTÄJÄN TURVALLISUUSLUOKAN 1 YLITTÄVÄLLE NÄKYMÄTTöMÄLLE LA...

Page 6: ...ite 4 Introducing Your Computer 5 Using Your Computer for the First Time 7 Attaching the AC Adapter 7 Turning On the Computer 9 Understanding POST 9 Adjusting the LCD Display 10 Making Backup Disks 10 Turning Off Your Computer 11 Restarting Your Computer 11 Tips for Using Your Computer 12 Traveling with Your Computer 13 Handling Spills 14 Storing the Computer for Long Periods 14 Using the Keyboard...

Page 7: ... ROM Drive 31 Using the Hard Drive 34 Removing the Hard Drive 35 Installing a Hard Drive 36 Using the Battery 37 Charging the Battery 37 Safely Using the AC Adapter and Batteries 38 Removing and Installing the Battery 38 Monitoring the Battery Charge 40 Using the Battery Gauge 40 Battery Warnings 42 Using System Setup 43 Starting System Setup 44 Main Menu 46 Advanced Menu 50 Security Menu 52 Power...

Page 8: ...Mode 61 Rest Mode Precautions 62 Creating a Save to Disk Partition 64 Changing the Video Configuration 67 Resolution and Color Depth 67 Configuring Display Features 68 Selecting a Monitor Type 68 Changing Color Depth and Resolution 69 Working with PC Cards 70 Maintaining PC Cards 70 Using PC Cards 71 Watching Video 73 Updating the System BIOS 76 Performing the BIOS Update 76 Troubleshooting the BI...

Page 9: ...o Airline Adapter 85 Battery Pack 87 Hard Drives 87 Memory Modules 88 Before You Install Memory 88 Installing a Memory Module 88 Battery Cradle 92 External Numeric Keypad 93 CD ROM Drive and Floppy Cable 93 Docking Options 93 Specifications 94 Abbreviations 96 Glossary 99 Recording the Computer Hardware Configuration 105 Index 109 ...

Page 10: ... Ascentia M Series User s Manual Your computer includes both a printed user s manual and an online copy of the manual Opening the Online Manual Your Ascentia M online manual is included on the computer s hard drive in PDF format You can view the manual through the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is also included on the hard drive To open the online manual in Windows 95 1 Click the Start button on the W...

Page 11: ...u quickly from one page of the manual to another You can click on a hypertext link to go directly from the link to the topic connected to the link When the screen cursor is on a hypertext link the cursor changes from an open hand to a hand with a pointing index finger When you see the cursor change click the link to jump to the linked topic Click on a section title in the Contents to jump to that ...

Page 12: ...e shown in the manual enclosed in angle brackets For example Ctrl indicates the control key Ctrl on the computer s keyboard If you need to press two keys at the same time the key names are shown joined by a plus sign For example Fn F11 means that you should press the Fn key and hold it and then press the F11 key If you are new to using computers see the Glossary The Glossary explains general compu...

Page 13: ...mentation Refer to the documentation or the Help options in the software for more information Visiting the AST Web Site If you have an internet connection you can visit the AST Web site at http www ast com Updates on your computer and other AST products are periodically added to the Web site You can get a copy of the Ascentia M online user s manual at this location http www ast com support manuals...

Page 14: ...ur computing needs at home or on the road Figures 1 through 3 show you the features of your computer Figure 1 Front View of Computer LCD latch LCD Power button AC adapter connector Fan vent Hard drive compartment Battery compartment Kensington lock support Touchpad Microphone Speaker Speaker Mouse buttons Status lights SmartBay floppy drive shown ...

Page 15: ...port Parallel port Docking connector PS 2 mouse and keyboard port Microphone and audio line in jack Video port Serial port Floppy connector USB port PC Card compartment Volume control Audio line out jack Memory module compartment SmartBay latch Label showing part number and serial number Business card holder ...

Page 16: ...r fully charge the battery by attaching the AC adapter to the computer and to an electrical outlet All batteries lose their charge if they sit unused for an extended time period When not used your Ascentia M battery can discharge fully in 2 to 3 months The battery may have discharged in the time it took for the computer to go from the factory to you To attach the AC adapter 1 Plug the AC adapter i...

Page 17: ...g If the battery is fully depleted and the computer is turned off the battery charges in about 3 hours If the computer is turned on the battery charges in about 5 hours When the battery is charging the battery charge light is amber When the battery is fully charged the light turns green See Using the Battery on page 37 for more information on using your computer s battery Adapter plug AC adapter B...

Page 18: ...ed POST automatically runs to test the computer components Several messages appear on the screen during POST After POST is successfully completed the computer beeps once Screen messages are built into the computer to report both normal and abnormal system conditions If an error message appears take any action suggested in the message If the message identifies the error condition but does not sugge...

Page 19: ...d include one or two restore CD ROMs The restore CD ROM contains a copy of your computer s operating system and some of the factory installed software In the unlikely event that programs on the computer hard drive become corrupted or are erased you can use the restore CD ROM to reinstall them To restore software follow the directions included with the CD ROM Before you use the Restore CD ROM make ...

Page 20: ...oot your computer when installing hardware or software or if the computer does not respond to your input A warm or soft boot prompts you to save your files turns off the computer and then restarts the computer A cold boot turns off the computer without saving your files Do not perform a cold boot unless your keyboard and touchpad have no effect and you cannot perform a warm boot When you perform a...

Page 21: ... To prevent damage avoid touching the screen Use only AST approved AC adapters automobile adapters airline adapters and memory modules Because a portable computer is small and has restricted air flow around components it is more likely to overheat than a desktop computer A fan inside your computer runs when needed to help eliminate some heat Make sure the fan vent on the side of your computer is n...

Page 22: ...your work area Take frequent breaks from working at the computer to rest your eyes and stretch your muscles Remember to save your data files frequently and to make backup copies of your files Traveling with Your Computer If you are traveling by airplane follow these tips Take the computer with you as carry on luggage Do not check the computer with your baggage Allow the computer and disks to go th...

Page 23: ...r a full day before trying to use it Sweet liquids leave a sticky residue that may jam the keyboard despite your efforts to dry it If you spill liquid on the LCD panel clean it immediately with a soft cloth and denatured alcohol Do not use water window cleaner acetone aromatic solvent or dry rough towels to clean it Some liquids damage the polarized LCD screen If your screen is damaged contact you...

Page 24: ... Although the layout of the keys on your computer s keyboard is different from that on a desktop computer s keyboard the keyboard feels like a full sized keyboard when you use it The distance between the keys the pitch is the same as on a full size keyboard 19 mm The travel or space the key goes down when pressed is also the same 3 mm Function keys Windows key Cursor control keys Typewriter keys W...

Page 25: ...her special functions To clean the computer keyboard use slightly damp cotton swabs Scrub the keys and the surface around the keys Do not allow liquid to drip into the keyboard or you may damage the keyboard Using the Numeric Keypad Your keyboard includes a numeric keypad which is a group of keys that you can set to type numbers and mathematical symbols such as the plus sign Figure 7 A number or s...

Page 26: ...ard Fn F2 System request Reserved for use in software programs Fn F3 Speed Enables you to turn power management on and off Press Fn F3 to disable all the power management options in System Setup Press Fn F3 again to return the power management options to their previous settings This key combination disables power management options only until you turn your computer off and then back on again This ...

Page 27: ...word protection Type your password and press Enter to unlock the keyboard The Fn F7 key combination has no effect unless a password is enabled in System Setup The Num Lock Caps Lock and Scroll Lock lights blink when the keyboard is locked Fn F8 Mute Turns the audio output on and off Fn F9 Volume down Decreases the audio volume Fn F10 Volume up Increases the audio volume Fn F11 Rest Puts the comput...

Page 28: ...he touchpad Place your finger on the pad and move your finger in the direction you want the cursor to move The faster you move your finger the faster the cursor moves across the screen Roll your finger from side to side to move the cursor short distances Quickly tap your finger on the touchpad to click an item Tap your finger twice to double click an item Tap and drag your finger on the touchpad t...

Page 29: ...y the touchpad operates through the Synaptics TouchPad software To open the software click on the icon showing a touchpad that is located in the right corner of the Windows taskbar See the software s Help for more information For information on attaching and using another pointing device or keyboard with your computer see Connecting Peripheral Devices on page 23 ...

Page 30: ...ts 21 Reading the System Status Lights System Status lights show the status of computer functions The lights appear on the left edge of the computer Figure 9 Table 2 describes the meaning of the lights Figure 9 System Status Lights ...

Page 31: ...ight is on when the scroll lock function is activated The scroll lock function affects cursor movement and text scrolling in some applications This is a software specific key Refer to the appropriate software manuals for a description of the Scroll key Drive light Light is on when the hard drive or floppy drive is being accessed Do not turn your computer off when this light is on When the light is...

Page 32: ...e Connecting a peripheral device with your computer turned on may seriously damage the device or your computer Figure 10 Peripheral Connectors Table 3 shows the icons located near each connector and tells you the devices that you can attach to the connectors Microphone and audio line in jack Audio line out jack PS 2 Mouse and keyboard port Video port Parallel port Docking connector Serial port USB...

Page 33: ...he Floppy Connector on page 25 for more information Video port Plug the interface cable of an external monitor into this 15 pin connector and then plug the monitor power cord into a grounded outlet Serial port Plug a serial device such as a serial printer into this 9 pin port If the device has a 25 pin connector you need a 25 to 9 pin serial adapter Parallel port Plug a parallel device such as a p...

Page 34: ...or remove devices from the SmartBay or connect or disconnect the floppy cable and drive To use the floppy drive and the CD ROM drive at the same time install the CD ROM drive in the SmartBay Then attach the floppy drive to the external floppy connector Attach one end of the floppy cable to the floppy drive and the other to the external floppy port on the computer Figure 11 Figure 11 Attaching the ...

Page 35: ...re both facing upward The cable bead is close to the computer not the floppy drive If the cable does not fit easily do not force it Make sure you have the correct end of the cable going to the computer and to the floppy drive To remove the cable 1 Press in and hold the tabs on the side of each cable connector 2 Pull the cable connectors away from the floppy drive and the computer ...

Page 36: ...ion for your computer Make sure that the computer s power is off before you remove or install a device in the SmartBay To remove a device from the SmartBay 1 Turn the computer s power off 2 Close the LCD panel and turn the computer over so that the bottom of the unit faces up 3 Pull up on the SmartBay latch Figure 12 The device in the SmartBay pops partially out of the bay Figure 12 Removing a Dev...

Page 37: ...s power off 2 Place the device into the bay 3 Push the device in until it is flush with the chassis 4 Push down on the SmartBay latch until the latch snaps into place Your computer s operating system automatically recognizes the device in the SmartBay and configures your computer accordingly ...

Page 38: ...floppy drive in a desktop computer To get the best performance from your floppy drive handle the drive carefully when installing or removing it and use high quality floppy disks The floppy drive fits in your computer s SmartBay and can also be attached by cable to a connector on the outside of the computer For information on installing the floppy drive see Using the SmartBay on page 27 and see Con...

Page 39: ...t is on To protect the data on your floppy disks follow these guidelines Keep disks away from excessive heat direct sunlight and liquids Keep magnets and any device that contains a magnet like the telephone away from your disks Magnetic fields can destroy the information on a disk Do not write directly on a label on your disk instead write on a disk label first and attach the label to the disk Mak...

Page 40: ... the CD ROM drive and the tray slides out Do not lean on the tray it does not support much weight 2 Insert a CD label side up or remove a disc if you have finished using it 3 Push the tray in gently to close the drive tray Figure 14 A light on the drive tray is on when the computer is reading from a CD Do not remove a disc when this light is on Figure 14 Using the CD ROM Drive Install and start a ...

Page 41: ... not attempt to disassemble the CD ROM drive Refer servicing to your authorized AST service center The on board audio hardware and software of your computer enable the computer to play audio compact discs If you wish to do so you can attach external speakers to the audio line out jack To play an audio compact disc in Windows 95 1 Insert a compact disc into your CD ROM drive a Press the button on t...

Page 42: ...gure 15 CD Player Window 2 Click the Stop button in the CD Player Window 3 Click the Eject button on the CD Player window or press the button on your CD ROM drive The drive tray opens and you can remove the disc from the CD ROM drive For more information on playing compact discs see the Help menu in the CD Player window Play Stop Eject ...

Page 43: ...as already been formatted Do not format the hard drive Doing so destroys all data contained on the drive If you need to format a new drive or want to erase all data on your existing hard drive refer to the manual for your operating system Drives of more than 2 GB that ship with your computer are divided into partitions Each partition is 2 GB or less so that the partitions can use a 16 bit file all...

Page 44: ...ter In Windows 95 you can use the Microsoft Create System Disks Utility to back up application files and the Microsoft Backup utility to back up data files The restore CD ROM that shipped with your computer contains copies of most of the applications that came with the computer Turn the computer s power off 2 Close the LCD panel and turn the computer over so that the bottom of the unit faces up 3 ...

Page 45: ...described in the previous section 2 Slide the new drive into the hard drive compartment Make sure the drive is pushed back as far as it will go 3 Install the screw that holds the hard drive in place 4 If you intend to use save to disk mode see Creating a Save to Disk Partition on page 64 5 Format your drive and reinstall your files ...

Page 46: ... the battery is fully charged the light changes to green You can also use the optional external battery cradle to charge the battery while it is not in the computer See Battery Cradle on page 92 for more information When you use a new battery pack for the first time or use a battery after a long period of storage the initial battery life is shorter than normal Normal battery life resumes after a f...

Page 47: ...ed AC adapters and automobile and airline adapters Do not disassemble the battery heat it above 212 F 100 C or burn it The battery used in this computer may cause a fire or chemical burn if mistreated Your computer s rechargeable battery may be considered hazardous waste If you replace your battery with a new one Keep the old battery out of the reach of children Dispose of the old battery promptly...

Page 48: ...d pull the battery out of the compartment To reinstall the battery pack 1 Turn the computer s power off 2 Close the LCD panel and turn the computer over so the bottom of the unit faces up 3 Slide the battery pack into the compartment Make sure the battery is fully inserted into the compartment 4 Align the tabs on the battery compartment cover with the slots on the battery compartment 5 Push the co...

Page 49: ...life estimates are subject to variation The actual life of your battery may be less than the estimates given in the documentation You can monitor the charge of the battery pack installed in your computer through the battery gauge Using the Battery Gauge You can display the battery gauge while you are in any program Press Fn F6 to display the battery gauge on the LCD Figure 18 The gauge is only ava...

Page 50: ...r The middle section of the gauge shows a picture of a battery to indicate that the computer is operating from the battery The bottom section of the gauge shows you the approximate amount of battery charge remaining F means that the battery is at full charge E means that the battery is completely discharged While the battery gauge is displayed all keys except F1 Fn F3 and Esc are disabled The batt...

Page 51: ...ng the battery again The battery is defective Replace the battery with a new battery Warnings Condition Action to Take The computer beeps 5 times low pitched beeps In Windows 95 a battery low warning appears on screen Battery low The battery charge is about 10 percent Approximately 5 10 minutes of battery charge is left Save your work Use the AC adapter to power the computer or turn off the comput...

Page 52: ...arly the first time you use your computer to set the time and date use security or power management features or alter the settings of other features Your computer s version of System Setup may not include all the fields listed here or may include additional fields Field names and order of appearance can vary according to the version of the BIOS on your computer You can use the configuration listin...

Page 53: ...able 6 System Setup Navigation Keys Menu Function Main Changes the basic system configuration Advanced Configures advanced features on your computer Security Enables security features including passwords and backup and virus check reminders Power Savings Configures power management features Boot Specifies the order of boot devices Exit Specifies how to exit System Setup Navigation Key Alternate Ke...

Page 54: ... can be displayed in the window Use the PgUp and PgDn keys or the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to scroll through the entire help document Tab Moves the cursor forward through the cells for a highlighted field If the field has only one cell the Tab key moves the cursor down to the next field Tab Shift Moves the cursor backward through the cells for a highlighted field If the field has only one cell...

Page 55: ...ute and second in the format hh mm ss Use a 24 hour clock Use the tab key to move between the hour minute and second cells Use the hyphen key or Space bar to decrease or increase the numbers System Date Sets your computer to the date that you specify usually the current date Enter the month day and year in the format mm dd yyyy Use the tab key to move between the month day and year cells Use the h...

Page 56: ...e hard drive Incorrect drive settings can cause your computer to malfunction Each IDE adapter field calls up a submenu The following fields are found in the submenu Autotype Fixed Disk Automatically configures an IDE type drive Normally press Enter at this field to have your computer attempt to automatically detect the drive type and set the values for the remaining fields in this submenu Type Con...

Page 57: ... correct value to enter for this field Before you can make changes to this field the Type field must be set to User Write Precomp Configures the write precompensation setting for the hard drive Refer to your drive s user documentation or look on the drive to determine the correct value to enter for this field Before you can make changes to this field the Type field must be set to User Multi Sector...

Page 58: ...elds are External Cache Enables default or disables your computer s external level 2 cache memory Normally do not disable the cache memory unless a program s documentation specifies that the computer cache memory must be disabled Cache System BIOS area Enables default or disables the caching of the system BIOS Normally leave this field enabled Cache Video BIOS area Enables default or disables the ...

Page 59: ...o not select the same option as that selected in the COM2 port field If you change this option you must reboot your computer before the change can take effect If you do not have a peripheral device attached to your serial port specify Disabled This saves power and serves as an additional security measure because a serial device attached to your computer will not function COM2 port Sets the base ad...

Page 60: ...ur computer before the change can take effect Diskette controller Enables the on board floppy disk controller The options are Enabled default and Disabled Local Bus IDE adapter Enables the integrated IDE local bus adapters Options are Both default Disabled Primary and Secondary The Both option enables both the primary IDE adapter for the hard drive and the secondary IDE adapter for the CD ROM driv...

Page 61: ...ther than Windows 95 Large Disk Access Mode Enables your computer s operating system to work with drives larger than 540 MB Choose DOS default for Microsoft operating systems Choose Other for any other operating systems Security Menu Selecting Security from the menu bar displays the Security menu Password is Specifies whether or not a password is enabled This field is for reference only Set Passwo...

Page 62: ... prompt you to scan the computer for viruses The prompt appears each time you start your computer or reboot until you respond with Y yes The options for this field are Daily Every day when you start your computer for the first time the prompt appears Weekly When you start your computer for the first time each week after Sunday the prompt appears Monthly When you start your computer for the first t...

Page 63: ...ll used when your system is in this mode This rest mode is also known as suspend to RAM Save To Disk Provides the greatest power saving capabilities by essentially turning off your computer In the save to disk mode all system logic except for your computer wakeup circuitry and battery charger is turned off During save to disk mode the DRAM and video memory are saved to the hard drive and are resto...

Page 64: ...Use the tab key to move between the hour minute and second cells Use the hyphen key or Space bar to decrease or increase the numbers You must set this option if you enable Resume On Time Boot Menu The Boot menu enables you to select the order in which the computer attempts to boot from different devices The field has three options Diskette Drive Hard Drive and CD ROM Drive To choose a device as th...

Page 65: ...xit System Setup Get Default Values Loads the default values for all System Setup parameters When you select this option and press Enter a message appears telling you that the default values have been loaded You can now select Save Changes Exit or make other changes before exiting System Setup Load Previous Values Enables you to discard the selections you have made and restore the values you previ...

Page 66: ...Password field The Set Password dialog box appears 4 Type a password of up to seven characters You can enter letters or numbers but you cannot use the function keys Your computer does not distinguish between capitalized and lowercase letters in your password As you type the password the cursor moves but your password does not appear on the screen 5 Press Enter after you have typed your password Th...

Page 67: ...s Enter Do not type anything A message appears telling you that the changes have been saved Press Enter again to return to the Security menu 7 Press Esc to go to the Exit menu 8 Select Save Changes Exit press Enter and press Enter again to restart the computer Requiring a Password When the Computer Starts After you create a password you can enable the computer to prompt for a password each time th...

Page 68: ...ot sector field in System Setup For more information about the Fixed disk boot sector field see Security Menu on page 52 Locking the Keyboard The keyboard lock enables you to protect your system when you walk away from it for a time To use the keyboard lock you must first enable a password through System Setup See Creating a Password on page 57 for instructions To lock your keyboard press Fn F7 To...

Page 69: ...ings in System Setup to control power management APM may delay the computer from entering rest mode if full power is needed to complete an operation Some applications may require the computer to run at full speed to operate correctly If you experience any problems with an application try disabling power management When running the computer from the battery you can press Fn F3 to set the computer t...

Page 70: ...dby your computer will recognize the function of the key you pressed and perform that function For example if you press N and a document is open an n is typed into your document If you enable both standby and rest modes your computer enters standby when the delay time you chose for standby has elapsed and then enters rest mode when the delay time you chose for rest mode has elapsed Rest Mode The R...

Page 71: ...de during a critical operation such as reading from or writing to the hard drive To resume to full power mode press the power button Once all devices return to full power mode all active software applications and system states are restored to exactly how they were before your computer entered rest mode When your computer enters or resumes from save to disk mode screens appear indicating system sta...

Page 72: ...tery charge When your computer is in power on suspend or save to disk mode do not connect or remove any devices including PC Cards or memory modules because you may damage the computer or resume to full power may fail If a floppy disk is in the floppy drive do not remove it or switch it with another disk However you can plug in the AC adapter if the resume to full power fails because of a low batt...

Page 73: ...Phoenix PHDISK utility provided with your computer to create the save to disk partition Before you use PHDISK to create a save to disk partition do the following Under the Boot menu in System Setup set Diskette Drive as the first boot device and CD ROM Drive as the second See Using System Setup on page 43 for information on setting options Create a startup disk for your operating system a PHDISK d...

Page 74: ...d start your computer 4 After your system boots remove the startup disk from the floppy drive and insert the PHDISK disk 5 At the A prompt type phdisk c 135168 p and then press Enter PHDISK automatically creates a save to disk partition of the maximum size for your computer When the save to disk partition has been created the following message appears Save to disk partition created successfully 6 ...

Page 75: ... installed programs If you do not have a CD ROM drive restore your applications from the backup floppy disks you created 11 Reinstall any data files that you backed up If you do not intend to use the save to disk mode you can delete the save to disk partition on an AST hard drive using PHDISK delete Then you can repartition and reformat the save to disk partition for some other application Back up...

Page 76: ...our computer Resolution and Color Depth The resolution of the LCD is the sharpness of the image it can display Resolution is measured in number of pixels individual dots displayed on the entire screen In general the more pixels the LCD can display the better the image Your LCD screen is either SVGA or XGA The maximum display for the SVGA LCD screen is 800x600 about 480 000 pixels The maximum displ...

Page 77: ...dows 95 Selecting a Monitor Type When you attach an external monitor to your computer Windows 95 automatically selects display settings for it If you wish you can adjust the display settings by selecting a monitor type 1 Click the Start button on the Windows 95 taskbar 2 Select Settings 3 Click Control Panel The Control Panel window appears Software Drivers Resolution Supported Number of Colors Wi...

Page 78: ... the OK button The Display Properties screen appears 11 Click the Close button Follow any prompts that appear on the screen Changing Color Depth and Resolution To change the color depth and resolution of your LCD or external monitor 1 Click the Start button on the Windows taskbar 2 Select Settings 3 Click Control Panel The Control Panel window appears 4 Double click the Display icon The Display Pr...

Page 79: ...you cannot install a card in the top slot CardBus hardware and software CardBus enables the computer to use 32 bit PC Cards Windows 95 supports 32 bit and 16 bit PC Cards Zoomed video The bottom PC Card slot and the video chip on your computer support zoomed video When you install a zoom video PC Card in the bottom slot data can be transferred directly from the PC Card to video and audio systems w...

Page 80: ...d into a slot 1 Open the slot door 2 Align the card with a slot and insert the card into the slot until it locks in place Figure 19 The eject button for the card slot flips outward when you install a card If you close the PC Card compartment door the button flips inward You need to flip the button outward and then push the button to eject the card Figure 19 Inserting a PC Card Windows 95 automatic...

Page 81: ...our computer if your operating system is Windows 95 Use the following procedures to remove PC Cards or you may lose data that is being stored to a card 1 Click the PC Card indicator on the taskbar 2 Select the name of the card you want to remove and then click the Stop button 3 Push the card eject button on the side of the PC Card slot when prompted to do so 4 Pull the card out of the PC Card slot...

Page 82: ...ames that are formatted under MPEG 1 Video CD and CD I standards To start a video compact disc 1 Insert a compact disc into the CD ROM drive See Using the CD ROM Drive on page 31 for more information 2 Open the SoftPEG player a Click the Start button on the taskbar b Select Programs c Select SoftPEG Player d Click CD Vision ...

Page 83: ...Figure 20 SoftPEG Controller 3 Press the Load button button 4 in Figure 20 on the controller The video begins to play 4 Use the other buttons on the controller as needed while watching the video Table 8 lists the buttons that are numbered in Figure 20 and gives their functions ...

Page 84: ...st Backward 6 Return Returns to the previous menu when running Interactive Video CD version 2 0 7 Video CD Hi Res Lo Res Changes the screen resolution Use this button when the characters are too small in the Interactive Video CD 8 Volume Up and Volume Down Control the volume 9 Audio Selects the sound mode either mono stereo left or right 10 Numeric pad keys Select the menu of a video compact disc ...

Page 85: ...OS update please note the following rules Do not interrupt the power while updating the BIOS Interrupting the power may create a fatal error causing your computer to become inoperable once it has been turned off If the power is interrupted turn off your computer and call your authorized AST Service Center If your computer is connected to a docking device disconnect it Do not attempt a BIOS update ...

Page 86: ...ve 6 Click the OK button 7 Follow the instructions on the screen to make your BIOS update disk 8 Leave the disk in the computer and restart the computer 9 Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the BIOS update Troubleshooting the BIOS Update If the flash BIOS update was not successful make sure that You have the right update BIOS for your machine You have completely inserted the disk in...

Page 87: ...k the Drivers directory in your recovery CD ROM Drivers for some other operating systems are included there IRQs Most of the devices in your computer or connected to your computer need their own IRQ The IRQ is a hardware line that a device can use to send signals to the microprocessor When the device needs the microprocessor s service the device sends an interrupt request signal to the microproces...

Page 88: ...mputer is not connected to the docking station With this configuration an IRQ is available for a peripheral device that you connect to the docking station See your docking station manual for more information IRQ Component 0 System timer 1 Keyboard 2 Internal Controller 3 COM 2 COM 4 4 COM 1 COM 3 5 Sound 6 Floppy controller 7 LPT1 parallel port 8 CMOS Clock 9 USB 10 available 11 CardBus 12 Touchpa...

Page 89: ...ates please see the customer service supplement that accompanied your computer for special instructions regarding international product support services Operating Problems This section tells you what to do if you have problems running your computer If any problem persists after you take corrective action contact your reseller for assistance The computer does nothing when you turn it on Has the bat...

Page 90: ...turning the monitor off and on again The external monitor displays flashes or waves Check the cables between the monitor and the computer Are they properly installed Some of the letter keys type numbers instead of the indicated letters Is the Num Lock light on If so the numeric keypad on the keyboard is active To return the keypad keys to typing letters press Num Lock Battery power seems to run ou...

Page 91: ...et to No Check to make sure that the port is enabled in System Setup A PC Card does not work correctly Make sure that the PC Card is inserted right side up in the PC Card slot Check that the card is inserted fully into the slot If you are using a PC Card modem check the modem cable connections Try setting the Plug Play OS field in System Setup to Yes to enable Windows 95 to autosense an older PC C...

Page 92: ...level vertically Place them on the same table if possible Make sure the infrared ports on the sending and receiving devices face each other with no more than a 30 angle between the two infrared ports Make sure that nothing is obstructing the file transfer path between the computer s infrared port and the receiving infrared device Check to see if the COM2 Mode field in System Setup is set to FIR Th...

Page 93: ... SmartBay 8 16 32 and 64 MB memory modules that enable you to upgrade your computer s memory A battery cradle that charges the battery outside the computer An external numeric keypad A CD ROM drive and floppy cable for computers that do not ship with these items Docking options that enable you to use your computer like a desktop computer The options that are available may change periodically Conta...

Page 94: ...at is equipped with a portable computer connector Figure 21 Figure 21 Auto Airline Adapter Portable computer connectors on airplanes differ You may need to remove the top of the adapter casing to use the adapter on certain airplanes To remove the top of the adapter casing 1 Press and hold the release button on the adapter 2 Pull the top of the adapter casing off Release button Cap Light Top of ada...

Page 95: ...is plugged in and the adapter light does not turn on Check the adapter connections If you are in an automobile turn on the automobile s ignition to supply power to the adapter In some vehicles power to the cigarette lighter socket is always on and you do not need to turn on the ignition If you are in an airplane ask your flight attendant when power will be activated to the portable computer connec...

Page 96: ...hium ion battery pack for your computer See Using the Battery on page 37 for information on the battery Hard Drives You can order optional hard drives for your system A hard drive can be installed in the hard drive compartment to replace your existing hard drive or you can order a hard drive that fits in the SmartBay See Installing a Hard Drive on page 36 for information on installing a new drive ...

Page 97: ... compartment door turn off the computer unplug the AC adapter or auto airline adapter and remove the battery Also disconnect any peripheral devices Before handling a memory module discharge any static electricity by touching a grounded surface or using a grounding wrist strap Do not insert objects with conductive material such as metal screwdrivers or graphite pencils into the memory module compar...

Page 98: ...r off the chassis 4 Remove installed modules if necessary When removing modules pull on the plastic portion of the connector slots tabs only Do not pull on the metal part of the tabs or you may damage the tabs a Pull the tabs on the connector slot outward slightly until the edge of the memory module pops up Figure 23 ...

Page 99: ...s and pull it forward out of the compartment 5 Align the connector on the memory module with the connector of the slot 6 Push the memory module into the slot at a slight angle until the connectors are fully engaged Figure 24 7 Push down on the edge of the memory module until the module snaps into place Tabs ...

Page 100: ...y Module 8 Align the memory module compartment door with the compartment and push the door down until it snaps into place 9 Reinstall the screw you removed in step 2 10 Turn on the computer and perform a complete POST to check the memory integrity ...

Page 101: ... 27 Figure 25 Battery Cradle 2 Attach the computer AC adapter to the connector at the back of the cradle and plug the other end of the adapter into a grounded electrical outlet The indicator light on the cradle is green when the cradle s power is on The light turns amber when the battery begins to charge 3 When the indicator light on the cradle turns back to green the battery is fully charged The ...

Page 102: ...ated keypad The external keypad plugs into the PS 2 mouse and keyboard port CD ROM Drive and Floppy Cable If your system did not ship with a CD ROM drive included you can order a drive and a floppy cable See Using the SmartBay on page 27 for directions on installing the CD ROM drive See Connecting the Floppy Drive to the Floppy Connector on page 25 for directions on using the floppy cable Docking ...

Page 103: ...with 12 1 TFT LCD Width 12 2 in 30 9 cm Height 1 7 in 4 2 cm Length 9 5 in 24 1 cm Weight with floppy drive and battery installed 6 2 lb 2 820 g LCD viewing area 12 1 TFT 9 7 x 7 2 in 245 8 x 184 3 mm System with 13 3 TFT LCD Width 12 2 in 30 9 cm Height 1 9 in 4 7 cm Length 9 5 in 24 1 cm Weight with floppy drive and battery installed 6 5 lb 2 970 g LCD viewing area 13 3 TFT 10 6 x 7 9 in 270 3 x...

Page 104: ...Nominal open circuit voltage 10 8 Vcc Capacity typical 1450 mAhr 47 whr Charging time approximate with computer turned off 3 hr Charging time approximate with computer turned on 5 hr Average battery life with no power management enabled 2 hr AC Adapter Width 1 75 in 4 44 cm Height 1 04 in 2 64 cm Length 4 02 in 10 2 cm Weight 0 46 lb 208 g Operating voltage 100 VAC to 240 VAC Line frequency 50 60 ...

Page 105: ...ompact disc CD ROM Compact disc read only memory cm Centimeters COM Communication as in communication port CMOS Complementary metal oxide semiconductor DC Direct current dBA Decibels acoustic DIN Deutsche Industrie Normenuasschuss German electrical standards association DMA Direct memory access DPMS Display power management signaling DRAM Dynamic random access memory DS STN Dual scan super twist n...

Page 106: ...stal display m Meters mA Milliampere mAhr Milliampere hour MB Megabyte Mb sec Megabits per second MHz Megahertz MIDI Musical instrument digital interface mm millimeter MPU Microprocessor unit ms Millisecond PDF Portable document format PC Personal computer PCI Peripheral component interconnect PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association POST Power on self test PS 2 Personal Syst...

Page 107: ... Super video graphics array TFT Thin film transistor USB Universal serial bus V Volt VAC Voltage alternating current VCC Voltage collector current VDC Voltage direct current VGA Video graphics array whr Watt hour XGA Extended graphics array ...

Page 108: ... it has been recorded on a flash memory chip that can be updated if needed Boot To start your computer A cold boot resets the entire computer and runs through all computer self tests A warm boot clears out computer memory only Boot disk A disk containing operating system programs required to start your computer A boot disk can be a floppy disk hard drive or compact disc Byte The basic unit of meas...

Page 109: ...y the CMOS battery The System Setup settings and other parameters are maintained in CMOS memory Even when you turn your computer off the information in CMOS memory is saved COM port COM stands for communication COM ports are the serial ports in your computer Conventional memory The first 640 KB of system memory Operating systems and application programs can directly access this memory without usin...

Page 110: ...so called fixed disk A hard drive is connected to the computer and can be installed or removed Data written to a hard drive remains until it is overwritten or corrupted The 2 5 inch hard drive in your computer was designed for use in a portable computer Because hard drives in portable computers are smaller than those in desktop computers their maximum storage capacity may be less than that of desk...

Page 111: ...out 128 kilobytes Operating system A program that supervises the computer s operation including handling I O Application programs and users can request operating system services A user might request operation system services to copy files or format a disk An application program might use the operating system to obtain keyboard input write data to a file or write data to a screen PC Card PC Card st...

Page 112: ... in RAM is temporary and is erased when the system is turned off Refresh rate The refresh rate is the rate at which the image on the LCD screen is rewritten to the screen A fast refresh rate helps keep the image from flickering Resolution The resolution is the sharpness or clarity of the image on your LCD screen Resolution is measured by the number of pixels the computer s screen can display For e...

Page 113: ... BIOS remains in shadow RAM until you turn off the computer TFT thin film transistor LCD A TFT LCD uses a separate transistor circuit to control each pixel This technology provides the best resolution for an LCD screen A TFT LCD is also sometimes called an active matrix LCD Zoomed video Zoomed video technology enables zoom video PC Card to transfer data directly from the card to video and audio sy...

Page 114: ...nto System Setup to restore it MAIN MENU Diskette A Not Installed 1 44 MB 3 1 2 IDE ADAPTER SUBMENU IDE Adapter 0 Type __________Cylinders __________ Heads __________Sectors Track __________ Write Precomp ________Multi Sector Transfers _____ LBA Mode Control Enabled Disabled 32 Bit I O Enabled Disabled Ultra DMA Transfer Mode Enabled Disabled Transfer Mode Standard Fast PIO 1 Fast PIO 2 Fast PIO 3...

Page 115: ...nsfer Mode Standard Fast PIO 1 Fast PIO 2 Fast PIO 3 Fast PIO 4 Fast DMA A Fast DMA B Fast DMA F PCI Bus Master DMA MEMORY CACHE SUBMENU External Cache Enabled Disabled Cache System BIOS area Enabled Disabled Cache Video BIOS area Enabled Disabled Cache Memory Region CC00 CFFF Enabled Disabled D000 D3FF Enabled Disabled D400 D7FF Enabled Disabled D800 DBFF Enabled Disabled DC00 DFFF Enabled Disabl...

Page 116: ...IR Disabled FIR Channel DMA 0 DMA 1 DMA 3 LPT port Disabled Auto 378 IRQ 7 278 IRQ 7 298 IRQ 7 378 IRQ 5 278 IRQ 5 298 IRQ 5 LPT Mode Bi directional Output only EPP ECP Diskette Controller Enabled Disabled Local Bus IDE adapter Both Disabled Primary Secondary PS 2 Mouse Enabled Disabled Screen Expansion Enabled Disabled USB Device Enabled Disabled Plug Play O S Yes No Reset Configuration Data Yes ...

Page 117: ...der Daily Weekly Monthly Disabled POWER SAVINGS MENU Battery Power Saving Mode Turbo Non Turbo Standby Timeout Off Time_________________ Rest Mode Power On Suspend Save To Disk Rest Timeout Off Time_________________ Resume On Time On Off Resume On Modem Ring On Off Resume Time ________________________ BOOT MENU Boot option 1 ________________________ Boot option 2 ________________________ Boot opti...

Page 118: ...afety 38 warnings 42 Battery charge light 22 Battery cradle 92 Battery gauge 40 displaying 18 keys 18 Battery low warning 42 Battery Power Saving Mode field 53 Battery very low warning 42 BIOS basic input output system 99 on Web site 76 updating 76 Boot 99 cold 11 warm 11 Boot disk 99 Boot menu System Setup 55 Boot Options field 49 Boot sector locking 59 Brightness adjustment keys 10 18 Brightness...

Page 119: ...tor 104 Diskette A field 46 Diskette controller field 51 Display adjusting 10 Disposing of battery packs 38 DMA direct memory access 101 Docking options 93 Drive light 22 Drivers 78 DS STN Dual scan super twist nematic LCD 67 101 E Exit menu System Setup 56 Extended Memory field 50 External Cache field 49 External monitor 68 81 External numeric keypad 93 F FAT 16 34 FAT 32 34 Fixed disk boot secto...

Page 120: ...put 101 K Key lock keys 18 Keyboard locking 18 59 using 15 L Large Disk Access Mode field 52 LBA Mode Control field 48 LCD liquid crystal display 81 102 Lights system status 21 Liquids precautions 14 Load Previous Values field 56 Local Bus IDE adapter field 51 LPT Mode field 51 LPT port field 51 M Main menu System Setup 46 Memory cache 49 81 99 CMOS complementary metal oxide semiconductor 100 conv...

Page 121: ...nt features 60 rest mode 61 standby mode 61 System Setup fields 53 Power on suspend mode 54 61 Power Savings menu System Setup 53 Precautions operating 12 rest mode 62 Print screen keys 17 Product Support Hot line 80 PS 2 Mouse field 51 R RAM random access memory 103 Rebooting the computer 11 Recovery CD ROM 78 Refresh rate 103 Removing device from the SmartBay 27 hard drive 35 Reset Configuration...

Page 122: ...em request keys 17 System resources 78 System Setup Advanced menu 50 Boot menu 55 Exit menu 56 help 45 Main menu 46 menus overview 44 overview 43 Power Savings menu 53 recording settings 105 Security menu 52 starting 44 submenus 45 using 45 System status lights 21 System Time field 46 T TFT thin film transistor LCD 67 104 Tips for using the computer 12 Touchpad 20 Transfer Mode field 49 Traveling ...

Page 123: ...ntia M Series User s Manual keys 16 Microsoft Backup utility 64 Microsoft Create System Disks Utility 35 PC Card 72 playing compact discs 32 shutdown procedure 11 Write Precomp field 48 Z Zoomed video 70 104 62 ...

Page 124: ...16215 Alton Parkway P O Box 57005 Irvine California 92619 7005 003754 001 A ...

Search results

Summary of Contents for Ascentia

Reviews:

Related manuals for Ascentia

Brands by name

Popular brands

AST Ascentia, User Manual

Search results

Summary of Contents for Ascentia

Reviews:

Related manuals for Ascentia

Brands by name

Popular brands