Gateway FX6710 Reference Manual Download

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CHAPTER 6: Maintaining Your Computer

Managing hard drive space

Windows provides several utilities you can use to check hard
drive space, delete unnecessary files, defragment files, and
back up files.

Checking hard drive space

To check hard drive space:

Click (

Start

), then click

Computer

. The

Computer

window opens.

Shortcut

Start

Computer

right-click drive

Properties

8513213.book Page 70 Tuesday, August 26, 2008 5:08 PM

Summary of Contents for FX6710

Page 1: ...8513213 book Page a Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 2: ...8513213 book Page b Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 3: ...desk and chair 15 Sitting at your computer 16 Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain 16 Preparing power connections 16 Protecting from power source problems 16 Connecting to a broadband...

Page 4: ...for both performance and security 38 Preparing your computer for RAID 40 Configuring RAID 40 Getting help 41 Chapter 5 Upgrading Your Computer 43 Preventing static electricity discharge 44 Opening the...

Page 5: ...e space 70 Deleting unnecessary files 71 Checking the hard drive for errors 72 Defragmenting the hard drive 73 Backing up files 74 Backing up files 76 Scheduling maintenance tasks 77 Moving from your...

Page 6: ...ng your system 101 Creating recovery discs 102 Recovering pre installed software and drivers 104 Returning to a previous system condition 105 Returning your system to its factory condition 106 Technic...

Page 7: ...About This Reference About this guide Accessing your online User Guide Gateway contact information Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity For more information 8513213 book Page 1 Tuesday August 26 200...

Page 8: ...or the Web address shown on your computer s label The Support page also has links to additional Gateway documentation and detailed specifications Accessing your online User Guide In addition to this g...

Page 9: ...r Customer Care will need this information if you call for assistance Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the back or side of your computer i...

Page 10: ...CHAPTER 1 About This Reference 4 8513213 book Page 4 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 11: ...CHAPTER2 5 Checking Out Your Computer Front Back 8513213 book Page 5 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 12: ...anager Optical disc drive Power button power indicator Removable hard drive carriers Optical drive eject buttons Optical disc drive optional Backup button Multimedia panel USB ports Media navigation i...

Page 13: ...ovable hard drive carriers Install a new hard drive to one of these carriers then back up important files to the hard drives for removable storage For more information see Adding a removable hard driv...

Page 14: ...panel Memory card reader USB ports Copy button Home button Stop button Navigationbuttons Play Pause button Rewind Skip back button Fast forward Skip forward button Select button Back button Mute butto...

Page 15: ...9 Multimedia panel Microphone jack IEEE 1394 FireWire jack USB ports Right channel stereo RCA jack Headphone jack Left channel stereo RCA jack Analog video RCA jack 8513213 book Page 9 Tuesday August...

Page 16: ...itch USB ports Telephone jack optional IEEE 1394 FireWire port Expansion slot cover thumbscrew Add in video card optional Modem jack optional Surround left right jack Case cover Phillips screw Audio i...

Page 17: ...hones or amplified speakers into this jack Default Stereo out Plug your front left and right speakers into this jack This jack is disabled when an audio expansion card is installed For more informatio...

Page 18: ...t Stereo out Plug your side left and right speakers into this jack This jack is disabled when an audio expansion card is installed For more information see Configuring the audio jacks on page 33 Surro...

Page 19: ...l up modem Starting your computer Turning off your computer Restarting rebooting your computer Opening the hideaway port panels Using the keyboard Using the mouse Using optical drives Using the digita...

Page 20: ...to the floor Adjust the monitor so the screen is perpendicular to your line of sight and the top of the screen is no higher than eye level Place your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest Keep venti...

Page 21: ...the appropriate height and the chair helps you maintain good posture Select a flat surface for your computer desk Adjust the height of the computer desk so your hands and arms are positioned parallel...

Page 22: ...o your computer can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system damage Protect your computer and peripheral devices by connecting them to a surge protector which absorbs voltage...

Page 23: ...e line to connect to the Internet or to fax documents To connect the modem 1 Insert one end of the modem cable into the modem jack on the modem at the back of your computer 2 Insertthe otherend of the...

Page 24: ...the documentation that came with each device for its setup instructions 5 To open your computer s Start menu click Start From that menu you can run programs and search for files For more information...

Page 25: ...your computer after it has been turned completely off To put your computer to sleep 1 Click Start then click power The computer saves your session and partially shuts down to save power 2 To wake your...

Page 26: ...rebooting your computer If your computer does not respond to keyboard or mouse input you may need to restart reboot your computer To restart your computer 1 Click Start click the arrow next to the loc...

Page 27: ...finger grip lines of the panel firmly against the case until it clicks then release the panel 2 To close the panels press them back into the case until they click into place Using the keyboard The key...

Page 28: ...to open the Windows Start menu This key can also be used in combination with other keys to open utilities like F Find Search R Run and E Computer Fn key Press this key in combination with keys that h...

Page 29: ...een This illustration shows the standard mouse As you move the mouse the pointer arrow on the screen moves in the same direction You can use the left and right buttons on the mouse to select objects o...

Page 30: ...nue moving the mouse Select an object on the screen Position the pointer over the object Quickly press and release the left mouse button This is called clicking Start a program or open a file or folde...

Page 31: ...drive 2 Place the disc in the tray with the label facing up 3 Press the eject button to close the tray Important When you place a single sided disc in the tray make sure that the label side is facing...

Page 32: ...ssing data DVD RW Installing programs playing audio CDs playing DVDs accessing data and recording video and data to CDs and DVD R or DVD RW discs DVD R RW Installing programs playing audio CDs playing...

Page 33: ...movies several albums of music or several gigabytes of data can fit on a single disc DVDs can be played on a DVD player or a DVD drive equipped computer For more information about playing DVDs see yo...

Page 34: ...ting discs Recording to optical discs You can use the disc burning program on your computer to copy tracks from a music CD to your hard drive copy or create data discs create music CDs create video DV...

Page 35: ...or cellular telephone Memory card types The digital media manager supports several memory card types To determine which types are supported by your card reader and the slots to use for each type of c...

Page 36: ...t easy to copy pictures movies and data files from a memory card to your computer To use the Copy button 1 Insert the memory card into the appropriate slot in the digital media manager 2 Press and hol...

Page 37: ...justing the volume You can adjust volume using your speakers controls or the Windows volume controls You can also adjust the volume of specific sound devices in your computer To adjust the overall vol...

Page 38: ...olume 3 To mute the volume click Mute To restore volume click it again 4 To adjust device volume levels click Mixer The Volume Mixer dialog box opens where you can click and drag sliders for individua...

Page 39: ...r audio jack s 2 Click Start then click Control Panel The Control Panel window opens 3 Click Hardware and Sound Sound the Playback tab then click Configure OR If your computer has the Realtek Sound Ef...

Page 40: ...at your computer will usually recognize such a device whenever you plug it into the appropriate port When you use an IEEE 1394 or USB device for the first time your computer will prompt you to install...

Page 41: ...CHAPTER4 35 Advanced Hardware Setup Setting up multiple monitors Using a removable hard drive Setting up RAID 8513213 book Page 35 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 42: ...55 2 Copy files to the hard drive using Windows Explorer or a backup utility For more information see Backing up files on page 76 3 Turn off your computer then remove the hard drive and store it in a...

Page 43: ...e block of data and each column represents a separate hard drive How it makes file storage cheaper Because RAID 0 lets your computer see multiple hard drives as a single drive you can install several...

Page 44: ...y So if you have two drives 300 GB and 250 GB in a RAID 1 array your computer only recognizes a single drive with 250 GB total capacity RAID 5 and 10 for both performance and security Understanding RA...

Page 45: ...array could survive one drive failure in each mirrored array In the following graphic each letter represents a unique block of data and each column represents a separate hard drive Drawback A RAID 5 a...

Page 46: ...procedure assumes that no RAID has been defined yet To create a RAID volume 1 Install additional hard drives as needed for your RAID plan For instructions on installing hard drives see Adding or repla...

Page 47: ...The Array Detail screen opens 3 Press D to delete the array In this screen you can also press C to clear delete all data from the array Getting help For more information on RAID concepts configuratio...

Page 48: ...CHAPTER 4 Advanced Hardware Setup 42 8513213 book Page 42 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 49: ...y discharge Opening the case Closing the case Adding or replacing memory Adding or replacing an optical disc drive Adding or replacing a hard drive Replacing the power supply Adding or replacing an ex...

Page 50: ...tistatic bags only when you are ready to use them Do not lay components on the outside of antistatic bags because only the inside of the bags provide electrostatic protection Always hold expansion car...

Page 51: ...utton for ten seconds to drain any residual power from your computer 4 Remove the security tape if any on the rear edge of the side panel 5 Remove the two Phillips hex screws on the back edge of the l...

Page 52: ...right side panel 1 Make sure that the left side panel has already been removed by following the instructions in Removing the left side panel on page 45 2 Remove the two Phillips hex screws on the back...

Page 53: ...he three bezel release tabs on the left side of the computer then swing the left side of the bezel away from the computer until the bezel is completely removed Tip The bezel is the front face piece of...

Page 54: ...uter 2 Slide the side panels toward the front of the computer until the backs of the side panels are flush with the back of the computer 3 Secure each side panel with the two Phillips screws you remov...

Page 55: ...dule bank then press the module firmly into the bank The tabs on the sides of the memory module should snap into place to secure the memory module 6 Return your computer to its upright position 7 Repl...

Page 56: ...see the photo in Step 5 3 If you are replacing an existing drive disconnect the cables from the drive noting their locations and orientation You will reconnect the cables after you install the new dr...

Page 57: ...r s instructions 9 Replace the front bezel by following the instructions in Replacing the front bezel on page 48 10 Replace the side panels by following the instructions in Replacing the side panels o...

Page 58: ...by following the instructions in Removing the left side panel on page 45 and Removing the right side panel on page 46 2 On the right side of the computer label and disconnect the cables for all intern...

Page 59: ...then slide the hard drive cage out of the computer 4 If you are replacing a drive remove the screws that secure the hard drive to the hard drive cage then slide the old hard drive out of the cage Hard...

Page 60: ...ack into the computer by aligning the rails on the top of the cage with the slots on the bottom of the optical drive cage 8 Secure the hard drive cage to your computer with the thumbscrew you removed...

Page 61: ...ormation on restoring your system see Recovering your system on page 88 Adding a removable hard drive You can use your computer s removable hard drive carriers for high volume backups and convenient b...

Page 62: ...ne of the carriers to remove it from the computer The empty carrier looks like this 4 Align your new hard drive with the carrier so the end with the connectors is at the opposite end as the carrier s...

Page 63: ...e the sides Make sure that the prongs on the inside of the carrier are securely inserted into the screw holes on the hard drive 7 Slide the hard drive and carrier fully into the hard drive slot on the...

Page 64: ...wer supply cables from all components such as hard drives optical and diskette drives and the system board noting their locations and orientation You will reconnect the cables after you install the ne...

Page 65: ...les into the case then secure it to the case using the four Phillips screws you removed previously 7 Reconnect the power supply cables using your notes from Step 3 8 Replace the side panels by followi...

Page 66: ...card 1 Remove the side panel by following the instructions in Removing the left side panel on page 45 2 Loosen the thumbscrew on the expansion card cover Important Your computer hardware options and...

Page 67: ...to loosen it but do not bend the card sideways To remove a card such as a video card from the PCI Express slot press the card release lever before trying to remove the card 7 Install the new card int...

Page 68: ...ten the thumbscrew on the expansion card cover 10 Return your computer to its upright position 11 Replace the side panels by following the instructions in Replacing the side panels on page 48 8513213...

Page 69: ...aintenance schedule Caring for your computer Cleaning your computer Updating Windows Using BigFix Managing hard drive space Backing up files Scheduling maintenance tasks Moving from your old computer...

Page 70: ...e schedule Maintenance task Weekly Monthly When needed Check for viruses X X X Run Windows Update X X Manage hard drive space X Clean up hard drives X X Scan hard drive for errors X X Defragment hard...

Page 71: ...easy to break in cold temperatures and can melt or warp in high temperatures Damage due to either extreme is not covered by your warranty As a general rule your computer is safest at temperatures tha...

Page 72: ...nt free cloth to clean your computer and other parts of your system Do not use household abrasive or solvent cleaners because they can damage the finish on components Your computer is cooled by air ci...

Page 73: ...use a soft cloth and water to clean the screen Dampen the cloth never apply liquid directly to the screen then wipe the screen with the cloth To clean a CRT monitor use a soft cloth and glass cleaner...

Page 74: ...n always get the most recent updates and fixes to protect your computer and keep it running smoothly Windows Update scans your computer and provides you with a tailored selection of updates that apply...

Page 75: ...urity alerts and updates from BigFix sites on the Internet Whenever BigFix detects a problem it alerts you by flashing the blue taskbar icon To fix the problem click on that icon to open BigFix To sta...

Page 76: ...use to check hard drive space delete unnecessary files defragment files and back up files Checking hard drive space To check hard drive space 1 Click Start then click Computer The Computer window ope...

Page 77: ...les Delete unnecessary files such as temporaryfiles and files in the Recycle Bin to free hard drive space To delete unnecessary files 1 Click Start All Programs Accessories System Tools then click Dis...

Page 78: ...ms and marks flawed areas on the hard drive so Windows does not use them If you use your computer several hours every day you probably want to run Error checking once a week If you use yourcomputer le...

Page 79: ...ion stored on the drive can improve hard drive performance While Disk Defragmenter is running do not use your keyboard or mouse because using them may continuously stop and restart the defragmenting p...

Page 80: ...removing them from the hard drive frees space for new files on the hard drive It also protects you from losing important information if the hard drive fails or you accidentally delete files You should...

Page 81: ...ck the Tools tab 3 Click Backup Now then click Run a file backup now 4 Follow the on screen instructions to select a backup storage location and the files and folders to back up Help For more informat...

Page 82: ...ton near the power button on the front of your computer Windows Backup and Restore Center opens 2 Click Back up files then follow the on screen instructions to complete your backup Tip Ifyou are using...

Page 83: ...alog box opens 2 Click Create Basic Task for basic tasks or click Create Task for more complex tasks then follow the on screen instructions to finish setting up and scheduling the task Important Your...

Page 84: ...hose programs on the new computer before running Windows Easy Transfer Windows Easy Transfer copies only the software s settings not the software itself to the new computer 2 Click Start All Programs...

Page 85: ...then click Documents The Documents folder opens and displays many of your saved personal data files Go to 4 OR In Windows XP click Start then click My Documents The My Documents window opens and disp...

Page 86: ...ick Start then click Search The Search Results window opens OR In Windows XP click Start then click Search The Search Results window opens OR In Windows 98 Windows Me or Windows 2000 click Start Find...

Page 87: ...ges Internet and networking Power Display Printing Optical discs Memory card reader Mouse Keyboard Files Memory Audio Passwords Expansion cards Media Center Checking for device problems Recovering you...

Page 88: ...your computer Your computer was dropped The case was damaged Instead unplug your computer and contact a qualified computer technician Warning Never open your computer case while your computer is turne...

Page 89: ...on page 94 Operating system not found See You get an Operating system not found error message on page 94 Unable to locate host See You see an Unable to locate host message and are unable to browse th...

Page 90: ...ur ISP technical support to determine whether the Internet outage is widespread a problem they are trying to solve You see an Unable to locate host message and are unable to browse the Internet You ma...

Page 91: ...d e mail address consists of a user name the symbol and the Internet domain name of the Internet service provider ISP or company that hosts that user E mail addresses never contain spaces and are not...

Page 92: ...ng properties 1 Click Start type modem then press ENTER 2 If the Location Information dialog box opens enter the information for your area then click OK 3 Click the Dialing Rules tab click the locatio...

Page 93: ...em connection Restart your computer Run Windows modem diagnostics To run modem diagnostics 1 Click Start type modem then press ENTER 2 Click the Modems tab then click Properties 3 Click the Diagnostic...

Page 94: ...gned IP addressesto the computers make sure that all computers have different IP addresses For home networks IP addresses should be 192 168 N N where N is a number you assign between 0 and 254 The fir...

Page 95: ...on but there is no picture Make sure that the computer is not in Standby power saving mode Make sure that the monitor is connected to a power outlet and to a video port on your computer then make sure...

Page 96: ...plugged into an AC power source The printer is on but will not print Make sure that the Print to file box is not checked in the Print dialog box If the printer you want to print to is not the default...

Page 97: ...r instructions see Checking for device problems on page 100 Your computer may be experiencing some temporary memory problems Restart your computer An audio disc does not produce sound Make sure that t...

Page 98: ...e been temporarily uninstalled using the Remove Hardware icon in the system tray Restart your computer and it will recognize the card reader again Mouse The mouse does not work Make sure that the mous...

Page 99: ...ore using it again If the keyboard does not work after it dries you may need to replace it Files You get an Insufficient disk space error message Delete unnecessary files from the hard drive using Dis...

Page 100: ...ed to static electricity or physical shock you may need to reinstall the operating system See Recovering your system on page 101 You get an Operating system not found error message Your computer is un...

Page 101: ...minutes After Windows has finished checking the drive for errors it provides a summary of the problems that it found 4 Correct any problems that are found by following the on screen instructions 5 Cl...

Page 102: ...ng the volume on page 31 If you are using external speakers Make sure thatthe speakers are turned on and check the speaker connections See your speakers user guide for more troubleshooting tips Make s...

Page 103: ...retype the password Expansion cards The computer does not recognize an expansion card Restart your computer Make sure that you have installed the required software For more information see your expan...

Page 104: ...upports A V cables basic S Video fair but not optimized for computer video display VGA good DVI HDMI best Quality of video cables Poor quality video cables can cause problems Gateway recommends using...

Page 105: ...h Media Center itself For more information see the Media Center online help You want to play recorded programs on other computers A DVR MS file recorded to DVD can be replayed on another computer runn...

Page 106: ...ion 3 Click the symbol to the left of the device type to expand the list of devices The faulty device is marked with a yellow problems or red failed icon 4 To update the device driver a common solutio...

Page 107: ...were pre installed at the factory see Recovering pre installed software and drivers on page 104 For instructions on reinstalling software and drivers that were not pre installed see that product s do...

Page 108: ...Start All Programs Gateway then click Gateway Recovery Management Gateway Recovery Management opens 2 To create recovery discs for the hard drive s entire original contents including Windows Vista an...

Page 109: ...t then click Next The first disc begins recording and you can watch its progress on the screen When the disc finishes recording the drive ejects it 4 Remove the disc from the drive and mark it with a...

Page 110: ...you need to recover device drivers that did not come pre installed on your computer follow the instructions for updating drivers in Checking for device problems on page 100 To recover your pre instal...

Page 111: ...s of hard to resolve software problems you can return to one of these restore points to get your system running again Windows automatically creates an additional restore point each day and also each t...

Page 112: ...ctory condition You can reinstall using either your hard drive or the recovery discs you have created If you can still run Windows Vista see Recovering from within Windows Vista on page 107 If you can...

Page 113: ...ys information about the hard drive that the operating system will be recovered to 4 Click OK The recovery process begins by restarting your computer then continues by copying files to your hard drive...

Page 114: ...re and drivers 1 Turn on your computer insert the first system recovery disc into your optical disc drive then restart your computer 2 During startup press F10 to open the boot menu The boot menu is w...

Page 115: ...tware from Gateway see the manufacturer s documentation and technical support resources If you have how to questions about using a program see Its online Help Its printed documentation Its publisher s...

Page 116: ...CHAPTER 7 Troubleshooting 110 8513213 book Page 110 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 117: ...APPENDIXA 111 Legal Notices Important safety information Regulatory compliance statements Environmental information Notices 8513213 book Page 111 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 118: ...cts of any kind into the computer ventilation openings Someproductsareequippedwithathree wirepowercordtomakesurethattheproduct is properly grounded when in use The plug on this cord will fit only into...

Page 119: ...of America FederalCommunicationsCommission FCC UnintentionalemitterperFCCPart 15 This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the...

Page 120: ...ntinuanceof servicemay be required Thetelephonecompany may request that you disconnect the equipment until the problem is resolved The telephone company may make changes in its facilities equipment op...

Page 121: ...alterations made by the user to this equipment or equipment malfunctions may give the telecommunications company cause to request the user to disconnect the equipment Users should make sure for their...

Page 122: ...antenna discharge unit connection to grounding electrodes and requirements for the grounding electrode Cable distribution system should be grounded earthed in accordance with ANSI NFPA 70 the Nationa...

Page 123: ...to keep from touching such power lines or circuits Contact with them could be fatal Reference Grounding component 1 Electric service equipment 2 Power service grounding electrode system NEC Art 250 P...

Page 124: ...ndingand using the energy saving features of this product where applicable recycling the inner and outer packaging including shipping containers this product was delivered in and by disposing of or re...

Page 125: ...gistered trademarks of their respective companies Macrovisionstatement If your computer has a DVD compatible drive and an analog TV Out port the following paragraph applies This product incorporates c...

Page 126: ...APPENDIX A Legal Notices 120 8513213 book Page 120 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 127: ...tion 17 modem 17 broadband connection connecting 12 C cable modem 17 connecting 12 troubleshooting 85 cards adding expansion 60 inserting memory card 30 installing memory card 30 removing memory card...

Page 128: ...12 IEEE 1394 12 keyboard 7 11 line in 11 12 line out 11 microphone 11 modem 11 mouse 7 11 12 network 12 17 power 11 power cord 11 printer 7 11 PS 2 keyboard 11 PS 2 mouse 12 rear speakers 12 scanner 7...

Page 129: ...cking 72 95 Ethernet jack 12 Ethernet network connecting 17 jack 17 expansion card adding 60 replacing 60 external audio jack 11 12 F fan variable speed 18 files backing up 74 deleting 71 finding 80 o...

Page 130: ...buttons application 22 audio playback 22 Fn 22 function 22 mouse 23 navigating 22 numeric 22 Windows 22 L labels Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity 3 model number 3 109 serial number 3 109 LCD pane...

Page 131: ...r 23 PS 2 port 12 right clicking 24 scroll wheel 24 selecting screen objects 24 troubleshooting 92 USB port 7 11 moving files from old computer 78 79 pointer 23 24 screen objects 24 settings from old...

Page 132: ...leting volume 41 help information 41 preparing computer 40 setting up 36 RAID 0 36 RAID 1 38 RAID 10 38 39 RAID 5 38 RAM See memory RCA jack 7 rebooting computer 20 recording audio files 28 optical di...

Page 133: ...de panel removing 45 46 replacing 45 46 sleep mode 19 using 19 SmartMedia 29 software re installing 101 104 sound adjusting 31 controls 31 muting 31 speaker jack 11 speakers configuring 33 Standby mod...

Page 134: ...computer 7 19 20 turning on computer 7 18 U uninterruptible power supply UPS 16 updating Windows 68 UPS 16 USB port 7 11 34 V video playing 27 28 volume adjusting 31 adjusting dial up modem 87 contro...

Page 135: ...8513213 book Page 129 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

Page 136: ...MAN JOPLIN FX HW REF GDE R0 8 08 8513213 book Page 130 Tuesday August 26 2008 5 08 PM...

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