Sony PCG-887M Instruction & Operation Manual Download Page 1

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Sony Notebook User Guide

P C G - G R s e r i e s

Summary of Contents for PCG-887M

Page 1: ...N Sony Notebook User Guide P C G G R s e r i e s ...

Page 2: ...s Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision Corporation and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision Corporation Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited Sony Corporation reserves the right to make any modification to this manual or the information contained herein at any time without notice The ...

Page 3: ...Sony has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency The International ENERGY STAR Office Equipment Program is an international program that promotes energy saving through the use of computers and their office equipment The program backs the development and dissemination of products with functions that effectively reduce energy consumption It is an open syst...

Page 4: ...g to qualified personnel only To prevent fire or shock hazard do not expose your VAIO notebook to rain or moisture Avoid using the modem during a severe electrical storm Do not use the modem or a telephone to report a gas leak in the vicinity of the leak To change the backup battery please contact your nearest Sony Service Center Before you connect peripherals turn off the computer and all periphe...

Page 5: ...elephone lines Use your notebook only with the supplied AC adapter To disconnect your notebook completely from mains voltage unplug the AC adapter Please make sure that the socket outlet is easily accessible Never touch uninsulated telephone wire or terminals unless the telephone line has been disconnected at the network interface Optical disc drive Misuse of the optical instruments can cause eye ...

Page 6: ...owing areas residential commercial and light industrial This product has been tested and found compliant with the limits set out in the EMC Directive for using connection cables not longer than 3 metres 9 8 feet The optical disc drive is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT and complies with the Laser Product Safety Standard EN 60825 1 Repair and maintenance only by authorized Sony technicians Im...

Page 7: ...lace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer s instructions The battery pack used in this device may present a fire or chemical burn hazard if mistreated Do not disassemble heat above 60 C 140 F or incinerate Keep away from children In some areas the disposal of lithium ion batteries in household or business waste m...

Page 8: ...es Enjoy audio and video CDs Interconnectivity Your computer has Ethernet and i LINK functionalities i LINK is a bi directional digital interface for exchanging data MagicGate Memory Stick is Sony s universal storage medium i LINK is a bi directional digital interface for exchanging data Windows Your system includes the Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional opera...

Page 9: ...ell as troubleshooting and VAIO Link information Your Sony Guarantee conditions A Safety Regulations flyer A Modem Regulations flyer Online documentation The online documentation contains the following references 1 The Sony Notebook User Guide Using Your Sony Notebook shows you how to use the standard components of your system In this part of the manual you will also find out what you can do with ...

Page 10: ...pdating applications explains how to install run or uninstall a software application Managing drivers explains how to install update or uninstall a driver Using the Product Recovery CD ROMs explains how to perform a system and application recovery Using partitioned drives tells you what you can do with partitioned drives 3 Specifications online document provides details on your computer drivers an...

Page 11: ... N Your notebook and its accessories The following hardware items are in the box 1 main unit 7 phone cable 2 product recovery CD ROMs 8 power cord 3 documentation pack 9 CD RW DVD ROM 4 AC adapter 5 rechargeable battery pack 6 weight saver ...

Page 12: ...f you 1 Keep your forearms horizontal 2 with your wrists in a neutral comfortable position 3 while using the keyboard touchpad or external mouse Let your upper arms hang naturally at your sides Have breaks during sessions with your computer Excessive use of the computer may strain muscles or tendons Furniture and posture Sit in a chair with good back support Adjust the level of the chair so your f...

Page 13: ...t create glare and reflection on the display Use indirect lighting to avoid bright spots on the display You can also purchase accessories for your display that help reduce glare Proper lighting adds to your comfort and work effectiveness Positioning an external display When using an external display set the display at a comfortable viewing distance Make sure the display screen is at eye level or s...

Page 14: ... N Using your notebook This section describes how to start using your computer and how to use your computer s internal and external devices Locating controls and connectors Right 1 power button page 25 2 ventilation slot page 11 3 battery bay page 19 ...

Page 15: ...your notebook 14 n N Left 1 i LINK IEEE1394 S400 port page 75 2 Memory Stick slot page 45 3 PC Card slots page 42 4 multi purpose bay for weight saver or second battery with weight saver or removable CD RW DVD ROM drive page 19 S400 ...

Page 16: ... 10 hard disk drive indicator page 33 3 keyboard page 29 11 Memory Stick indicator page 33 4 touchpad page 34 12 Num Lock indicator page 33 5 left right buttons page 34 13 Caps Lock indicator page 33 6 Jog Dial page 35 14 Scroll Lock indicator page 33 7 Back button for Jog Dial page 35 15 power button page 25 8 power indicator page 33 ...

Page 17: ...lation slot when the computer is on 1 ventilation slot page 11 2 DC In page 18 3 printer connector page 73 4 monitor VGA connector page 61 5 AV Out connector 6 Ethernet connector network 7 2 USB ports page 70 8 modem connector page 53 9 microphone connector page 68 10 headphone connector for headphone or external speakers page 67 11 USB port page 70 ...

Page 18: ...Sony Notebook User Guide Using your notebook 17 n N Bottom 1 port replicator connector cover page 58 2 memory module cover page 94 3 multi purpose bay release lever page 19 4 tilt stands page 11 ...

Page 19: ...proceed as follows 1 Plug the cable attached to the AC adapter 1 into the DC In connector 2 on the computer 2 Plug one end of the power cord 3 into the AC adapter 3 Plug the other end of the power cord into an AC outlet Use your notebook only with the supplied AC adapter To disconnect your notebook completely from mains voltage unplug the AC adapter Make sure that the socket outlet is easily acces...

Page 20: ...e battery pack supplied with your computer is not fully charged at the time of purchase Inserting the battery pack To insert the battery pack proceed as follows 1 Open the cover of the battery bay 2 Insert the battery pack with the label facing up into the battery bay on the right side of the computer 3 Close the cover of the battery bay until it clicks When the computer is directly connected to A...

Page 21: ...ing for an additional hour There are two battery indicator lights on the computer 1 indicates the status of the battery pack in the battery bay on the right side of the computer 2 indicates the status of the battery pack in the multi purpose bay on the left side of the computer When the battery is running out of power both the battery and power indicators blink Keep the battery pack in the compute...

Page 22: ...cator starts flashing For some software applications and some peripheral devices your computer may not enter Hibernate mode when battery life is low To avoid loss of data when using battery power you should save your data frequently and manually activate a power management mode such as Standby or Hibernate When the computer is directly connected to AC power and has a battery pack inserted in the b...

Page 23: ...move it 2 Insert the battery pack 2 into the multi purpose bay The battery 2 indicator light turns on 3 Attach the weight saver 3 to the computer to stabilize the battery pack 4 Slide the eject lever on the bottom of the weight saver toward the front of the computer to lock it If you attach two battery packs you can remove one of them without shutting down the computer When removing one battery pa...

Page 24: ...tery pack To charge the second battery pack proceed as follows 1 Keep the battery pack 1 3 in the computer while it is connected to AC power The battery indicator 2 stops flashing when battery is 85 full 2 When the battery indicator stops flashing the battery is fully charged ...

Page 25: ...the second battery pack To remove the second battery pack proceed as follows 1 Slide the multi purpose bay release lever on the bottom of the computer in the direction of the arrow 2 Remove the weight saver 3 Pull out the battery pack 4 Reinsert the weight saver ...

Page 26: ...ress the power button 2 of the computer until the green power indicator 3 light turns on 3 If necessary press Fn F5 to adjust the brightness controls for the LCD display To increase the brightness use the up or right arrow keys To decrease use the down or left arrow keys Fn F5 is only possible if Windows is running If you press the power button for more than four seconds the computer will turn off...

Page 27: ...ut down your computer when your operating system is Windows 2000 proceed as follows 1 Click the Start button on the Windows taskbar 2 Click Shut Down The Shut Down Windows dialog box appears 3 Select Shut down 4 Click OK 5 Wait for your computer to turn off automatically The power indicator turns off 6 Turn off any peripheral connected to your computer Respond to any prompts warning you to save do...

Page 28: ...er the Windows Security feature to close any application that can not close normally then click Task Manager Close any application which cannot close normally These applications are labelled as Not Responding and restart your system If this does not work you can press the power button for more than four seconds This will shut down the computer This operation may result in data loss If you want to ...

Page 29: ...solution http www vaio link com Guarantee Protect your investment See the Guarantee sheet for the terms and conditions and refer to your Customer Service Guide for more information To register your Sony VAIO desktop proceed as follows 1 Click on the VAIO Online Registration icon in the Start menu 2 Fill in your Registration card fields 3 Scroll down to the bottom of the form and click Send 4 Click...

Page 30: ...Sony Notebook User Guide Using your notebook 29 n N Using the keyboard Your keyboard is very similar to a desktop computer s but has additional keys that perform specific notebook related tasks ...

Page 31: ...is equivalent to clicking the right mouse button Numeric keypad area 7 Contains the keys found on a typical calculator Use the numeric keypad area to type numbers or to perform mathematical calculations such as addition and subtraction Note that you must press the Num Lock key to activate the numeric keypad When you do so the Num Lock indicator illuminates Operator keys 8 11 12 Several keys are al...

Page 32: ...d a file or folder This is equivalent to selecting Search Windows XP or Search For files or Folders Windows 2000 from the Start menu Ctrl F Displays the Search Results Computers window where you can locate other computers M Minimizes all displayed windows Shift M Returns all minimized windows to their previous size R Displays the Run window This is equivalent to selecting Run from the Start menu F...

Page 33: ...ty press Fn F5 and then or To decrease light intensity press Fn F5 and then or Fn F7 switch to the external display Toggles between the LCD external display connected to the monitor connector and both LCD and external display Windows XP this function can only be used by the first user to log in It will not work under a second user account Fn F8 Toggles between the LCD and both LCD and TV Windows X...

Page 34: ...n Off hard disk Data is read from or written to the hard drive The hard drive is not being accessed Num Lock Turns on when the number keys in the numeric keypad are active Turns off when the alphanumeric character keys in the keypad area are active Caps Lock Turns on when the characters appear in uppercase as you type The Shift key lowers the case of typed characters when Caps Lock is on Turns off...

Page 35: ...e pointer 2 on an item or object click Press the left button 3 once double click Press the left button twice right click Press the right button 4 once In many applications this action displays a shortcut menu drag Slide one finger while pressing the left button scroll Move your finger along the right edge of the touchpad to scroll vertically Move your finger along the bottom to scroll horizontally...

Page 36: ...ebook 35 n N Using the Jog Dial Your computer is equipped with a Jog Dial with Back button on your computer near the touchpad You can turn and or press the Jog Dial to scroll the window select software adjust the internal speaker volume etc ...

Page 37: ...next to an item in the Jog Dial window you can display a submenu for that item by selecting it and pressing the Jog Dial The Jog Dial window switches to Guide mode when you start an application and its window becomes active Depending on the application the Jog Dial window displays different commands that you can select or execute by rotating or pressing the Jog Dial You can adjust the size of the ...

Page 38: ...ion 3 Turn or press the Jog Dial to use the Jog Dial function 4 To select another item switch to Launcher mode and repeat this procedure 5 Use the Back button on the right of the Jog Dial to go back to the previous state of the Jog Dial window Software supporting Jog Dial If the Sony software supporting the Jog Dial control is active you can use Jog Dial control functions allocated to each softwar...

Page 39: ...r is in Standby or Hibernate mode you cannot insert or remove a disc Be sure to seat the disc firmly over the disc drive hub fingers If you do not seat the disc firmly you could damage your disc drive and you may not be able to open the tray When you finish using a disc wait until the LED indicator turns off and then press the eject button to remove the disc If the disc does not come out when you ...

Page 40: ... use circular discs Do not use discs with any other shape star heart card etc as this may damage the CD RW drive Do not strike or shake the computer while writing data to a disc For optimal writing speed deactivate the screensaver before writing data to a disc Memory resident disc utilities may cause unstable operation or data loss Deactivate these utilities before writing data to a disc When usin...

Page 41: ... properties you selected you may use the Fn F command to expand the screen to full screen size Region codes indicators are labeled on the DVD discs to indicate in which region and on what type of player you can play the disc Unless a 2 Europe belongs to region 2 or all this means that you can play this DVD everywhere in the world is labeled on your DVD disc or on the packaging you cannot play the ...

Page 42: ...is installed in the multi purpose bay To attach the weight saver proceed as follows 1 If another device is in the multi purpose bay remove the device 2 Slide the weight saver in the direction of the arrow until it clicks into place To remove the weight saver proceed as follows 1 Slide the multi purpose bay release lever on the bottom of the computer in the direction of the arrow 2 Remove the weigh...

Page 43: ...ppears in the system tray Some devices may not function properly if you repeat Returning to Normal mode from Standby mode or Hibernate mode The computer will return to its original state if you restart it The PC Card slots can accommodate at the same time two Type I two Type II or one Type III PC Card These slots are compatible with Card Bus ports Use the lower slot for PC Type III cards Some PC C...

Page 44: ...may damage the connector pins Removing a PC Card Follow the steps below to remove the PC Card while your computer is on If it is not removed properly your system may not work properly If you want to remove a PC Card when your computer is off skip steps 1 to 7 To remove a PC Card when your operating system is Windows XP proceed as follows 1 Double click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the system...

Page 45: ...C Card release button and then press it to eject the card 9 Gently press the card and pull it out If you unplug the PC Card from the computer when it is still turned on your system might crash and you might lose data that you did not save before Before you remove the PC Card click the PC Card icon in the taskbar and close the card Close any applications that use the PC Card before removing the car...

Page 46: ...eady be used with an ever increasing range of compatible products including Audio systems Visual devices VAIO products CLIE handhelds Mobile phones There are currently two different types of Memory Stick The generic Memory Stick coloured blue The MagicGate Memory Stick coloured white You can purchase Memory Sticks from the Sony Style website http www sonystyle europe com or from your local Sony de...

Page 47: ...re of the stick gives it a longer lifespan than other storage devices Durability the same Memory Stick can be used thousands of times Forward compatibility the Memory Stick s current format is designed to be compatible with future products and higher capacity Memory Sticks Generic Memory Stick The original Memory Stick blue in colour can be used to record image data taken with digital still camera...

Page 48: ... Stick is currently available with a 4MB 8MB 16MB 32MB 64MB or a 128MB memory the equivalent capacity of 88 floppy disks Generic Memory Sticks cannot be used with the Memory Stick Walkman or with data that is protected by copyright MagicGate Memory Stick The MagicGate Memory Stick white in colour records PC and image data just like its blue counterpart the difference is it uses the MagicGate copyr...

Page 49: ...opyright protection system devised by Sony It is not meant to guarantee compatibility with other media MagicGate MagicGate refers to the copyright protection technology used by the MagicGate Memory Stick and other MagicGate Memory Stick compatible devices The Memory Stick Walkman and MagicGate Memory Stick work together to check the data and ensure it complies with copyright protection If no probl...

Page 50: ...n the increase That is why the Recording Industry Association of America RIAA took the initiative to organize a forum called Secure Music Digital Initiative SDMI to study technology for protecting copyrights during the electronic distribution of music Sony offers the MagicGate Memory Stick and Memory Stick Walkman with a copyright protection function that complies with SDMI standards thereby provi...

Page 51: ...Sony mobile phones Digital printers AIBO the Sony Entertainment Robot To find out more about the products available in your country go to http www sonystyle europe com Inserting a Memory Stick There are 2 ways you can insert a Memory Stick in your notebook Using the Memory Stick slot Using one of the PC Card slots To do this you need an optional PC Card adapter You can only insert one Memory Stick...

Page 52: ...er depending on the configuration of your computer Hold the Memory Stick with the arrow pointing in the correct direction when you insert it into the slot To avoid damaging the computer or the Memory Stick do not force the Memory Stick into the slot if it does not insert smoothly Removing a Memory Stick To remove a Memory Stick using the Memory Stick slot proceed as follows 1 Check that the access...

Page 53: ...valuable data from accidental erasure or overwriting Move the tab to the right or left to set or release write protection When the erasure prevention switch is off data can be saved on the Memory Stick When the erasure prevention switch is on data can be read from but not saved on the Memory Stick The 128 MB Memory Stick has a vertical lock LOCK LOCK LOCK ...

Page 54: ...r cannot be connected to a coin operated telephone and may not work with multiple phone lines or a private branch exchange PBX If you connect the modem to a parallel connected phone line the modem or the other connected device may not function properly Some of these connections may result in excess electrical current and could cause a malfunction in the internal modem Only DTMF Dual Tone Multi Fre...

Page 55: ...s below 10 percent you should either attach the AC adapter to recharge the battery or shut down your computer and insert a fully charged battery Using Normal mode This is the normal state of your computer when it is in use The green power indicator light is on in this mode To save power while not working you can turn off a specific device such as the LCD or the hard disk Using Standby mode The com...

Page 56: ... or in the Profile Editor of Power Panel Using Hibernate mode The state of the system is saved on the hard disk and power is turned off The power indicator light is off in this mode To activate Hibernate mode proceed as follows 1 Go to the Start menu and click Turn Off Computer 2 Windows XP In the Turn off computer window hold down the Shift key and click Hibernate The computer goes into Hibernate...

Page 57: ...e Using your notebook 56 n N It takes more time to return to normal mode from Hibernate mode than from Standby mode Hibernate mode uses less power than Standby mode Do not move the notebook until its power indicator turns off ...

Page 58: ...ecting external speakers page 67 Connecting an external microphone page 68 Connecting an external mouse or keyboard page 69 Connecting a Universal Serial Bus USB device page 70 Connecting a printer page 73 Connecting an i LINK device page 75 Connecting to a network LAN page 78 Before you connect peripherals turn off the computer and all peripherals Connect the power cord only after connecting all ...

Page 59: ...the AC adapter supplied with your notebook Do not remove the AC adapter from the port replicator or the AC outlet when using the port replicator this may cause data damage or hardware malfunctions When connecting video cables to S Video out and Video out simultaneously only the S Video out connector can be used 1 DC In port 7 Monitor VGA port 2 USB port 8 S Video out connector 3 PS 2 mouse keyboar...

Page 60: ...urns green 4 Close the tilt stands before attaching the notebook to the port replicator 5 Align the bottom connector of the notebook with the connector on the port replicator 6 and push down until it clicks into place 6 Turn on the notebook When you use the port replicator for the first time the installation of the network drivers starts automatically When attaching your computer to the port repli...

Page 61: ... port replicator to disconnect the computer from the port replicator 3 Lift the notebook away from the port replicator 4 Close the port replicator connector cover on the bottom of your computer It is extremely important to close the port replicator connector cover after removing your computer from the port replicator If the cover is left open dust may get inside and damage the computer To disconne...

Page 62: ...ore connecting the external display Connect the power cord after connecting all other cables Turn on the peripherals then turn on your computer Connected external displays are used as second screens On Windows systems only you can also use an external display to set up a virtual desktop Connecting a computer display To connect a computer display proceed as follows 1 Plug the display cable 1 not su...

Page 63: ...mputer display that includes built in speakers and a microphone To connect a multimedia computer display proceed as follows 1 Plug the display cable 1 into the monitor VGA connector 2 on the computer 2 Plug the speaker cable 3 into the headphone connector 4 on the computer 3 Plug the microphone cable 5 into the microphone connector 6 on the computer ...

Page 64: ...2 yellow and the other end into the TV 2 Plug the power cord of the TV 3 into an AC outlet 3 Switch the input channel of the TV to external input 4 Set up the TV configuration system See the manual supplied with your peripheral for more information on installation and use If you insert a DVD in your DVD ROM drive to watch a video on your TV the Fn F8 key combination might not activate the function...

Page 65: ...ow on both LCD and TV Re insert your DVD to launch your DVD software If the display resolution of your computer is more than 800 x 600 pixels a part of the image cannot be displayed on your TV The hidden area on your TV can be seen by moving the cursor on your computer If you want to display the full image change the display resolution of your computer to 640 x 480 pixels ...

Page 66: ... of the audio video cable 1 optional into the headphone connector 2 green and the other end into the Audio Left and Audio Right connectors on your TV 3 Plug one end of the the S video cable 3 optional into the S Video out connector 4 and the other end into the S video connector on your TV 4 Switch the input channel of the TV to external input 5 Set up the TV configuration system ...

Page 67: ...the audio cable 3 not supplied into the earphone connector 4 identified by the symbol 3 Plug the RGB signal cable and the audio cable into the connectors of the projector 5 4 Connect the power cord 6 of the projector into an AC outlet You may not be able to display the computer s LCD and the external display together depending on the types of computer display and projector used You can toggle the ...

Page 68: ...nnect external speakers proceed as follows 1 Plug the speaker cable 1 into the headphone connector 2 2 Plug the other end of the speaker cable into the external speaker 3 Turn down the volume of the speakers before you turn them on Make sure your speakers are designed for computer use Do not place floppy disks on the speakers their magnetic field may damage the data on the disks ...

Page 69: ...n internal microphone If you need to use a sound input device for example to chat on the Internet you need to plug in an external microphone To connect an external microphone proceed as follows 1 Plug the microphone cable 1 into the microphone connector 2 identified by the symbol Make sure your microphone is designed for computer use ...

Page 70: ...ector so you can only connect one external device at the same time Before you connect or disconnect the mouse or the keyboard turn off the computer To connect an external mouse or keyboard proceed as follows 1 Plug the mouse cable 1 or the keyboard cable 2 with the symbol facing up into the PS 2 mouse keyboard connector 3 identified by MOUSE KEYBOARD See the manual supplied with your mouse or keyb...

Page 71: ...ur USB device before using the USB device There are 3 USB ports at the back of your notebook and 2 USB ports at the back of the optional port replicator Connecting a USB mouse To connect a USB mouse proceed as follows 1 Choose the USB connector you prefer to use at the back of the notebook 1 or the optional port replicator 2 Plug the USB mouse cable 2 into the USB connector You can use your USB mo...

Page 72: ... the USB floppy disk drive cable into the USB connector The VAIO logo on the disk drive should be facing up Your USB floppy disk drive is now ready for use To remove a USB floppy disk drive proceed as follows If your computer is on wait until the floppy drive LED indicator turns off and then unplug the USB cable If the floppy disk drive is not removed properly your system may crash and you may los...

Page 73: ...isk To remove a floppy disk proceed as follows When you have finished using the floppy disk wait until the LED indicator 1 turns off and then press the eject button 2 to remove the disk Before pressing the eject button make sure that the LED indicator is turned off If the disk does not come out by pressing the eject button disconnect the floppy disk drive from the computer Do not press the eject b...

Page 74: ...ur computer To connect a printer using the USB connector proceed as follows 1 Plug a USB printer cable into one of the USB connectors on your notebook A USB connector is identified by the symbol on your notebook and printer 2 Plug the printer power cord into an AC outlet Before using the printer you may need to change the Printer settings in the Sony Notebook Setup software Turn off your computer ...

Page 75: ...ct a printer using the printer connector proceed as follows 1 Plug the printer cable 1 supplied with the printer into the printer connector 2 identified by the symbol 2 Plug the printer power cord 3 into an AC outlet Before using the printer you may need to change the Printer settings in the Sony Notebook Setup software ...

Page 76: ...es generally powered by i LINK connectors The i LINK connector supports transfer rates up to 400 Mbps however the actual transfer rate depends on the transfer rate of the external device The i LINK features available may vary depending on the software applications you use Refer to the documentation that came with your software for more information i LINK cables compatible with your VAIO notebook i...

Page 77: ...deo camera recorder 2 Launch the DVgate application On Sony digital video cameras connectors labeled DV Out DV In Out or i LINK are i LINK compatible The Sony digital video camera recorder is an example your digital video camera recorder may need to be connected differently If your digital video camera recorder includes a Memory Stick slot you can copy images from it to your computer via a Memory ...

Page 78: ...puter to your computer with an optional i LINK cable If the second computer has the Windows XP operating system you just need the i LINK cable If the second computer has a different operating system e g Windows 2000 you need a software application such as Smart Connect You can also print a document on a printer connected to another VAIO computer ...

Page 79: ...led settings and devices needed to connect to the network consult your Network Administrator The default settings make your computer able to connect to the network For more information about connecting your notebook to the network please consult the Hardware troubleshooting section of the VAIO Link website How to troubleshoot network problems Do not plug a phone cable into your computer network ja...

Page 80: ...l find all the basic information you need to start using your notebook as well as troubleshooting and VAIO Link information Your Sony Guarantee conditions A Safety Regulations flyer A Modem Regulations flyer Online documentation The online documentation contains the following references 1 The Sony Notebook User Guide Using Your Sony Notebook shows you how to use the standard components of your sys...

Page 81: ...w to set your system and power management Installing and updating applications explains how to install run or uninstall a software application Managing drivers explains how to install update or uninstall a driver Using the Product Recovery CD ROMs explains how to perform a system and application recovery Using partitioned drives tells you what you can do with partitioned drives 3 Specifications on...

Page 82: ...eatures described in this manual Troubleshooting This section describes how to solve common problems you might encounter when using your notebook Many problems have simple solutions Please try these suggestions before contacting VAIO Link About the computer and software My computer does not start Check that the computer is plugged into a power source and that it is turned on Check that the power i...

Page 83: ...ower cord and plug it in again then turn on the power The message Press F1 to resume F2 to setup appears at startup If the floppy disk drive is empty proceed as follows to initialize the BIOS 1 Turn off the computer 2 Remove any peripheral devices connected to the computer 3 Turn on the computer and press F2 when the Sony logo appears The BIOS setup menu screen appears 4 Set the date month day yea...

Page 84: ...F4 to get to the Turn off computer screen from where you can shut down or restart your computer If this does not work press the power button and hold it for at least four seconds This turns off the power Unplug the computer from the AC adapter and remove the battery pack from your computer My computer does not shut down Windows 2000 It is recommended that you shut down your computer using the Shut...

Page 85: ...stop the CD ROM and shut down the computer by pressing Alt F4 and clicking Turn Off in the Turn off computer screen My computer locks up Windows 2000 If you suspect one application is locking your system you can try to stop it To do this press Ctrl Alt Delete simultaneously and select the application or the process that is locking your system and then click Shut Down on the Windows Security screen...

Page 86: ... mouse is plugged into the mouse connector of your optional port replicator If you are using an optional Sony USB mouse check that the appropriate driver and software are properly installed Check that the USB mouse is plugged into the USB connector About the display My LCD does not display anything Check that the computer and display are both plugged into a power source and that they are turned on...

Page 87: ...t open Make sure the computer is turned on Press the eject button on the disc drive If the eject button does not work you can open the tray by inserting a sharp pointed object into the hole to the right of the eject button I cannot play a CD ROM After inserting the CD wait for a few seconds for the system to detect it before you try to access it Make sure the label of the disc is facing up If the ...

Page 88: ...ice Manager check that the correct drivers are installed properly To display the Device Manager click Start Windows 2000 click Settings and select Control Panel Double click the System icon On the Hardware tab click the Device Manager button A dirty or damaged disc may cause the computer to hang while it tries to read the disc If necessary reboot the computer remove the disc and then check that it...

Page 89: ...x CD RW discs change the writing speed from 4x to a lower setting The VAIO notebook has a maximum recording rate of 8x for CD R and 4x for CD RW discs Reading speed of CD RW is slow Generally the reading speed of a CD RW is slower than that of a CD ROM or CD R The reading speed can also vary depending on the type of format The disc tray does not eject even when the eject button is pressed Check th...

Page 90: ...ou use external speakers check that the speakers are properly connected and the volume is turned up If the speakers have a mute button make sure it is off If batteries power the speakers check that the batteries are inserted properly and that they are charged If you have connected an audio cable or a set of headphones to the headphone connector disconnect the cable The sound of my notebook s fan i...

Page 91: ...ountry you are dialing from My modem cannot establish a connection The modem dialing mode may be incompatible with your telephone line My modem connection is slow Many factors influence modem connection speed including telephone line noise or compatibility with telephone equipment such as fax machines or other modems If you think your modem is not connecting properly to other PC based modems fax m...

Page 92: ...e using multiple i LINK devices the combination of the connected devices may cause unstable operation In this case turn off the power of all connected devices and disconnect unused devices Check the connection and then turn on the power again Use manual import export in DVGate motion if problems occur with third party cameras You are strongly advised to use only Sony i LINK cables as using other b...

Page 93: ...h your printer About digital video captures and DVgate While I am recording images to a digital video device using DVgate my system displays the message Recording to DV device failed Check the power and cable connections to the DV device and try the operation again Close all open applications and restart your computer Frequent recording of images to a digital video device while using DVgate someti...

Page 94: ... help 93 n N 2 Press Ctrl Alt Delete simultaneously and select Restart from the drop down list The notebook restarts 3 If the procedure does not work press and hold the power button for four seconds or longer to shut down the notebook ...

Page 95: ...nt to install memory modules to expand the functionality of your notebook 256 MB of memory is preinstalled You can replace the memory modules with optional memory modules to increase memory For memory upgrades use only PC133 CL2 SDRAM SO DIMMs gold lead contacts Electrostatic discharge can damage electronic components Before touching a memory expansion board ensure the following Handle the memory ...

Page 96: ...red with the memory module or wrap the module in aluminium foil to protect it from electrostatic discharge Do not place the memory module in places subject to Heat sources such as radiators or air ducts Direct sunlight Excessive dust Mechanical vibration or shock Strong magnets or speakers that are not magnetically shielded Ambient temperature of more than 35 C or less than 5 C High humidity Be ca...

Page 97: ...Open the cover on the bottom by unscrewing the screw turn counter clockwise 7 To remove the memory module pull the tabs in the direction of the arrows 1 The memory module is released 8 Pull the memory module in the direction of arrow 2 9 Close the cover 10 Gently tighten the screw ...

Page 98: ...ry packs 3 Wait until the computer cools down 4 Turn your computer upside down 5 Open the cover on the bottom by unscrewing the screw turn counter clockwise 6 Remove the new memory module from its packaging 7 Install the memory module by sliding it into the memory module slot 8 Press the module into place until it clicks 9 Close the computer cover 10 Tighten the screw on the bottom of the notebook...

Page 99: ...ry proceed as follows 1 Turn on the computer 2 Go to Sony Notebook Setup via the Start menu The Sony Notebook Setup dialog box appears 3 In the About this Computer tab you can view the amount of system memory If the additional memory does not appear repeat the whole procedure and restart the notebook ...

Page 100: ... while the power is on Do not turn off the power or restart the computer while reading or writing data Do not use your computer in a place subject to extreme change of temperature If the hard disk is damaged the data cannot be restored On handling the LCD screen Do not leave the LCD facing the sun as it can damage the LCD Be careful when using the computer near a window Do not scratch the LCD or e...

Page 101: ...ower surges such as those that may occur during an electrical storm Do not place heavy objects on the power cord To disconnect the cord pull it out by the plug Never pull the cord itself Unplug your computer from the wall outlet if you will not be using the computer for a long time When the AC adapter is not used unplug it from the AC outlet Use only the supplied AC adapter Do not use any other AC...

Page 102: ...adio signals and may cause interference to radio or TV reception Should this occur relocate the computer a suitable distance away from the set Use only specified peripheral equipment and interface cables otherwise problems may result Do not use cut or damaged connection cables Your computer cannot be connected to a coin operated telephone and may not work with a private branch exchange PBX If the ...

Page 103: ...use read errors Always hold the disc by its edge and its central hole as shown Proper care of the disc is essential to its continuous reliability Do not use solvents such as benzine thinning agents commercially available cleaners or anti static spray as they may cause damage to the disc For normal cleaning hold the disc by its edge and use a soft cloth to wipe the surface from the center out If th...

Page 104: ...en or try to disassemble the battery pack Do not expose the battery pack to any mechanical shock If you are not using the computer for an extended period of time remove the battery pack from the computer to prevent damage to the battery If after fully charging the battery pack the battery power is still low the battery pack may be reaching the end of its life and should be replaced You do not need...

Page 105: ...h the Memory Stick connector with your finger or metallic objects Use only the label supplied with the Memory Stick as a label Do not bend drop or apply strong shock to the Memory Stick Do not disassemble or modify Memory Sticks Do not let Memory Sticks get wet Do not use or store Memory Sticks in a location subject to Extremely high temperatures such as in a car parked in the sun Direct sunlight ...

Page 106: ...CPI a CD ROM player can be turned off by the operating system if it is not in use Application recovery A recovery process that enables you to recover any of the applications initially available on the computer Performing an application recovery is useful when an individual application does not run properly or to reinstall a driver when a device does not work properly Application recovery CD ROM CD...

Page 107: ...tional peripherals such as printers or monitors Driver A driver is software enabling you to use hardware devices For example in order for you to be able to use a printer you must first install its driver Many drivers such as the mouse driver come with the operating system DVD ROM Short for Digital Video Disc A type of read only CD with a minimum capacity of 4 7 GB maximum capacity can reach 17 GB ...

Page 108: ...hnology using liquid crystals and light polarisation to provide sharp flicker free images on a screen comprised of millions of tiny cells Color can be produced by two basic techniques Passive matrix is the less expensive of the two technologies The active matrix technology or TFT produces better quality but is also more expensive LED Short for Light Emitting Diode A semiconductor device that light...

Page 109: ...computer It defines how the computer reads and writes information to its disks and other hardware Windows 2000 Windows Millennium Edition Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition are examples of operating systems found on VAIOs Partition A partition is a logical division of a computer s hard disk A two partition hard drive would typically contain C and D drives Partitioning is particula...

Page 110: ... A port replicator is similar to a docking station but does not include additional slots for adding expansion boards or storage devices Processor The processor is the brains of the computer it processes the instructions of your system s programs The processor is also known as the CPU or microprocessor and can be found on the motherboard see this word of your computer Product recovery CD ROM The pr...

Page 111: ...a system recovery is useful in the event of a serious system crash or if you want to modify the size of your partitions System recovery CD ROM CD ROM that is supplied with your computer and that enables a VAIO computer user to recover the hard disk image that was available when the computer was purchased TFT Short for Thin Film Transistor Top of the range notebook display for excellent picture qua...

Page 112: ...rmation Technology IT skills WAN WAN Wide Area Network is a computer network connected together and covering a relatively large geographical area This is in contrast to LAN where the network is usually set up within one building or small geographical area The largest existing WAN is the Internet XGA Short for Extended Graphic Array a graphics standard An XGA board can provide up to 1 024 x 768 pix...

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