Lenovo 3257A5U User Manual Download

Page: 1 / 76

Machine Types:

3025, 3034, 3131, 3142, 3244, 3257, 3307, 3356,

3467, 3557, 3692, 3853, 4394, 5092, 5226, 5296,
6667, and 6673

ThinkCentre
User Guide

Summary of Contents for 3257A5U

Page 1: ...Machine Types 3025 3034 3131 3142 3244 3257 3307 3356 3467 3557 3692 3853 4394 5092 5226 5296 6667 and 6673 ThinkCentre User Guide ...

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Page 3: ...ThinkCentre User Guide ...

Page 4: ... have been developed exclusively at private expense and are sold to governmental entities as commercial items as defined by 48 C F R 2 101 with limited and restricted rights to use reproduction and disclosure LIMITED AND RESTRICTED RIGHTS NOTICE If products data computer software or services are delivered pursuant a General Services Administration GSA contract use reproduction or disclosure is sub...

Page 5: ...eating and using a rescue medium 39 Creating a rescue medium 39 Using a rescue medium 40 Installing or reinstalling device drivers 41 Solving recovery problems 41 Chapter 4 Using the Setup Utility program 43 Starting the Setup Utility program 43 Viewing and changing settings 43 Using passwords 43 Password considerations 44 Power On Password 44 Administrator Password 44 Hard Disk Password 44 Settin...

Page 6: ...Index 63 iv User Guide ...

Page 7: ...at you received with this product for the latest safety information Reading and understanding this safety information reduces the risk of personal injury and or damage to your product If you no longer have a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide you can obtain a Portable Document Format PDF version from the Lenovo Support Web site at http www lenovo com support Copyright Lenovo 2010 v ...

Page 8: ...vi User Guide ...

Page 9: ...roprocessor v Intel Pentium microprocessor Memory v Supports up to two double data rate 3 small outline dual inline memory modules DDR3 SODIMMs Internal drives v Optical drive v SATA Serial Advanced Technology Attachment hard disk drive available in some models Video subsystem v Integrated graphics card for a VGA Video Graphics Array connector and a DisplayPort connector Audio subsystem v Integrat...

Page 10: ...itor connector v Three audio connectors on the rear panel audio line in connector audio line out connector and microphone connector v Two audio connectors on the front panel microphone connector and headphone connector For more information see Locating connectors on the front of your computer on page 7 and Locating connectors on the rear of your computer on page 8 Expansion v One hard disk drive b...

Page 11: ...ws Vista v Microsoft Windows XP Professional preinstalled through downgrade rights in Windows 7 Professional Operating system s certified or tested for compatibility1 varies by model type v Linux 1 The operating system s listed here are being certified or tested for compatibility at the time this publication goes to press Additional operating systems might be identified by Lenovo as compatible wit...

Page 12: ...h package Non operating 10 to 60 C 14 to 140 F without package Humidity Operating 20 to 80 non condensing Non operating 20 to 90 non condensing Altitude Operating 50 to 10 000 ft 15 2 to 3 048 m Non operating 50 to 35 000 ft 15 2 to 10 668 m Electrical input Input voltage Low range Minimum 100 V ac Maximum 127 V ac Input frequency range 50 to 60 Hz Voltage selection switch setting 115 V ac High ra...

Page 13: ... operating system from Lenovo Lenovo Welcome The Lenovo Welcome program introduces you to some innovative built in features of Lenovo and guides you through a few important setup tasks to help you make the most of your computer Note The Lenovo Welcome program is only available on computers preinstalled with the Windows 7 operating system or the Windows Vista operating system from Lenovo ThinkVanta...

Page 14: ...uter improve computing security diagnose computer problems get familiar with the innovative technologies provided by Lenovo and get more information about your computer See Lenovo ThinkVantage Toolbox on page 52 for detailed information PC Doctor for Rescue and Recovery The PC Doctor for Rescue and Recovery diagnostic program is preinstalled on your hard disk drive It is part of the Rescue and Rec...

Page 15: ...ront of your computer Figure 1 shows the locations of the connectors on the front of your computer 1 USB connector 3 Microphone connector 2 Headphone connector 4 USB connector Figure 1 Front connector locations Chapter 1 Product overview 7 ...

Page 16: ...he cables on your computer 1 VGA monitor connector 8 Cover release button 2 USB connectors 3 9 PCI card slot 3 Ethernet connector 10 Audio line out connector 4 Audio line in connector 11 Microphone connector 5 PS 2 keyboard and mouse connectors optional 12 USB connectors 3 6 Serial port optional 13 DisplayPort connector 7 Integrated cable lock slot 14 ac power adapter connector Figure 2 Rear conne...

Page 17: ...cal area network LAN Note To operate the computer within FCC Class B limits use a Category 5 Ethernet cable Microphone connector Used to attach a microphone to your computer when you want to record sound or if you use speech recognition software Serial port optional Used to attach an external modem a serial printer or other devices that use a 9 pin serial port PS 2 keyboard connector optional Used...

Page 18: ... your computer To open the computer cover see Opening the computer cover on page 14 1 Optical drive 5 Heat sink 2 Front bezel 6 Memory module 3 Hard disk drive installed in some models 7 Battery 4 System fan assembly 8 Internal speaker Figure 3 Component locations 10 User Guide ...

Page 19: ...ch connector 4 System fan connector 13 Front USB front panel and front audio connector 5 Internal speaker connector 14 SATA connector 1 6 Serial COM connector 15 Microprocessor fan connector 7 SATA connector 2 and eSATA connector 16 4 pin power connector 8 PS 2 keyboard and mouse connector 17 Microprocessor 9 Clear CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Recovery jumper Figure 4 System board ...

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Page 21: ...etal surface on the computer for at least two seconds This reduces static electricity in the package and your body v When possible remove the new part from the static protective packaging and install it directly in the computer without setting the part down When this is not possible place the static protective package that the part came in on a smooth level surface and place the part on it v Do no...

Page 22: ...d Warranty Guide that came with your computer To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide go to http www lenovo com support This section provides instructions on how to open the computer cover CAUTION Turn off the computer and wait three to five minutes to let the computer cool before opening the computer cover To open the computer cover do the following 1 Remove all media from t...

Page 23: ...the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide go to http www lenovo com support This section provides instructions on how to remove and reinstall the front bezel To remove and reinstall the front bezel do the following 1 Remove all media from the drives and turn off all attached devices and the computer Then disconnect all power cords from electrical outlets and disconnect all cables that are connecte...

Page 24: ...to http www lenovo com support This section provides instructions on how to install or replace a memory module Your computer has two slots for installing or replacing DDR3 SODIMMs small outline dual inline memory modules that provide up to a maximum of 8 GB system memory When installing or replacing a memory module use 1 GB 2 GB or 4 GB DDR3 SODIMMs in any combination up to a maximum of 8 GB To in...

Page 25: ...irmly and pivot the memory module until it snaps into place Make sure that the memory module is secured in the slot and does not move easily What to do next v To work with another piece of hardware go to the appropriate section v To complete the installation or replacement go to Completing the parts replacement on page 31 Figure 7 Removing the memory module Figure 8 Installing a memory module Chap...

Page 26: ...ard disk drive do the following 1 Remove all media from the drives and turn off all attached devices and the computer Then disconnect all power cords from electrical outlets and disconnect all cables that are connected to the computer 2 Open the computer cover See Opening the computer cover on page 14 3 Disconnect the power cable from the optical drive first 4 Press inward on the side tabs of the ...

Page 27: ... To work with another piece of hardware go to the appropriate section v To complete the installation or replacement go to Completing the parts replacement on page 31 Replacing the optical drive Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair before reading and understanding the Important safety information in the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide that came with your computer To obtai...

Page 28: ...e 15 4 Disconnect the signal cable and the power cable from the rear of the optical drive 5 Press the blue release button and slide the optical drive out the front of the computer 6 Install the optical drive retainer 1 on the side of the new optical drive 7 Slide the new optical drive into the drive bay until it snaps into position 8 Connect the signal cable and the power cable to the new optical ...

Page 29: ...eps this information active when you turn off the computer The battery normally requires no charging or maintenance throughout its life however no battery lasts forever If the battery fails the date time and configuration information including passwords are lost An error message is displayed when you turn on the computer Refer to the Lithium battery notice in the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Gu...

Page 30: ... information in the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide that came with your computer To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide go to http www lenovo com support This section provides instructions on how to replace the heat sink CAUTION The heat sink might be very hot Turn off the computer and wait three to five minutes to let the computer cool before opening the computer cove...

Page 31: ...not touch the thermal grease while handling the heat sink 6 Position the new heat sink on the system board so that the four screws are aligned with the holes on the system board 7 Alternate tightening each screw a small and equal amount until the heat sink is secured to the system board Do not over tighten the screws What to do next v To work with another piece of hardware go to the appropriate se...

Page 32: ...l power cords from electrical outlets and disconnect all cables that are connected to the computer 2 Open the computer cover See Opening the computer cover on page 14 3 Locate the internal speaker See Locating components on page 10 4 Disconnect the internal speaker cable from the system board See Locating parts on the system board on page 11 5 Press the internal speaker lock latch 1 slide the inte...

Page 33: ...com support This section provides instructions on how to replace the front audio and USB assembly To replace the front audio and USB assembly do the following 1 Remove all media from the drives and turn off all attached devices and the computer Then disconnect all power cords from electrical outlets and disconnect all cables that are connected to the computer 2 Open the computer cover See Opening ...

Page 34: ... assembly with the corresponding hole in the chassis 9 Install the screw to secure the new front audio and USB assembly to the chassis 10 Install the new power switch assembly into the chassis 11 Connect the front USB front panel and front audio cables to the system board See Locating parts on the system board on page 11 12 Reinstall the front bezel See Removing and reinstalling the front bezel on...

Page 35: ...mputer Then disconnect all power cords from electrical outlets and disconnect all cables that are connected to the computer 2 Disconnect the power cord from the electrical outlet 3 Disconnect the ac power adapter from the ac power adapter connector on the rear of your computer See Locating connectors on the rear of your computer on page 8 4 Connect the new ac power adapter to the ac power adapter ...

Page 36: ...wer adapter bracket To replace the ac power adapter bracket do the following 1 Remove any media from the drives and turn off all attached devices and the computer 2 Disconnect the power cord from the electrical outlet 3 Disconnect the ac power adapter from the ac power adapter connector on the rear of your computer See Locating connectors on the rear of your computer on page 8 4 Press the metal cl...

Page 37: ...downward to secure the bracket to the chassis 8 Connect the ac power adapter to the ac power adapter connector on the rear of your computer See Locating connectors on the rear of your computer on page 8 9 Connect the power cord to an workable electrical outlet Figure 21 Installing the ac power adapter into the new bracket Figure 22 Installing the new ac power adapter bracket Chapter 2 Installing o...

Page 38: ...or mouse do the following 1 Remove all media from the drives and turn off all attached devices and the computer Then disconnect all power cords from electrical outlets and disconnect all cables that are connected to the computer 2 Disconnect the old keyboard cable or mouse cable from the computer 3 Connect a new keyboard or mouse to one of the USB connectors on the computer Depending on where you ...

Page 39: ...ure that the cables are routed correctly Keep cables clear of the hinges and sides of the computer chassis to avoid interference with closing the computer cover 4 Close the computer cover as shown 5 If there is an integrated cable lock available lock the computer 6 Reconnect the external cables and power cords to the computer See Locating connectors on the rear of your computer on page 8 7 To upda...

Page 40: ...non permanent fixture The cable lock attaches to the integrated cable lock slot at the rear of your computer and is operated with a key The cable lock also locks the buttons used to open the computer cover This is the same type of lock used with many notebook computers You can order an integrated cable lock directly from Lenovo by searching for Kensington at http www lenovo com support Password pr...

Page 41: ...covery jumper on the system board See Locating parts on the system board on page 11 4 Move the jumper from the standard position pin 1 and pin 2 to the maintenance position pin 2 and pin 3 5 Close the computer cover and connect the power cord See Completing the parts replacement on page 31 6 Turn on the computer and leave it on for approximately 10 seconds Then turn off the computer by holding the...

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Page 43: ...use recovery media to restore the hard disk drive to the factory default settings Recovery media are useful if you transfer the computer to another area sell the computer recycle the computer or put the computer in an operational state after all other methods of recovery have failed As a precautionary measure it is important to create recovery media as early as possible Note The recovery operation...

Page 44: ...Repeatedly press and release the F12 key when turning on the computer When the Please select boot device window opens release the F12 key 3 Select the desired startup device and press Enter The restore process begins 4 Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the operation Notes 1 After restoring your computer to the factory default settings you might have to reinstall device drivers for ...

Page 45: ...nly the Windows operating system and applications Performing a backup operation This section provides instructions on how to perform a backup operation using the Rescue and Recovery program on different operating systems v To perform a backup operation using the Rescue and Recovery program on the Windows 7 operating system do the following 1 From the Windows desktop click Start All Programs Lenovo...

Page 46: ...perform recovery operations even if you cannot start the Windows operating system You can perform the following recovery operations from the Rescue and Recovery workspace v Rescue files from your hard disk drive or from a backup The Rescue and Recovery workspace enables you to locate files on your hard disk drive and transfer them to a network drive or other recordable media such as a USB device o...

Page 47: ...ck Restore your system and follow the instructions on the screen For more information about the features of the Rescue and Recovery workspace click Help Notes 1 After restoring your hard disk drive to the factory default settings you might have to reinstall device drivers for some devices See Installing or reinstalling device drivers on page 41 2 Some computers come with Microsoft Office or Micros...

Page 48: ... the instructions on the screen to create a rescue medium Using a rescue medium This section provides instructions on how to use the rescue medium you have created v If you have created a rescue medium using a disc use the following instructions to use the rescue medium 1 Turn off your computer 2 Repeatedly press and release the F12 key when turning on the computer When the Please select boot devi...

Page 49: ...ng system such as WIN98 txt The TXT file contains information about how to install the device driver Follow the instructions to complete the installation v If the device subfolder contains a file with the inf extension and you want to install the device driver using the INF file refer to your Windows Help and Support information system for detailed information about how to install the device drive...

Page 50: ...e Setup Utility program see Chapter 4 Using the Setup Utility program on page 43 It is important to create a rescue medium a recovery repair diskette and a set of recovery media as early as possible and store them in a safe place for future use 42 User Guide ...

Page 51: ...gram might start automatically when POST detects that hardware has been removed or new hardware has been installed in your computer Viewing and changing settings The Setup Utility program menu lists various items about the system configuration To view or change settings start the Setup Utility program See Starting the Setup Utility program Then follow the instructions on the screen When working wi...

Page 52: ...ssword When an Administrator Password is set you are prompted to type a valid password each time you try to access the Setup Utility program The Setup Utility program cannot be accessed until a valid password is typed in If both the Power On Password and Administrator Password are set you can type either password However you must use your Administrator Password to change any configuration settings...

Page 53: ...Setup to enable or disable a USB device v Select ATA Drive Setup to enable or disable an internal or external SATA device 4 Select the desired settings and press Enter 5 Press F10 to save and exit the Setup Utility program See Exiting from the Setup Utility program on page 46 Selecting a startup device If your computer does not start up from a device such as the disc diskette or hard disk drive as...

Page 54: ...splayed on the right side of the screen 4 Press F10 to save and exit the Setup Utility program See Exiting from the Setup Utility program Exiting from the Setup Utility program After you finish viewing or changing settings press Esc to return to the Setup Utility program main menu You might have to press Esc several times Do one of the following v If you want to save the new settings press F10 to ...

Page 55: ...POST and BIOS When updates are released they are available as downloadable files on the Lenovo Web site at http www lenovo com Instructions for using the POST and BIOS updates are available in a TXT file that is included with the update files For most models you can download either an update program to create a system program update disc or an update program that can be run from the operating syst...

Page 56: ... will not be displayed on the screen after the download begins 5 Follow the printed instructions to download extract and install the update Recovering from a POST BIOS update failure If the power to your computer is interrupted while the POST BIOS is being updated flash update your computer might not restart correctly If this happens perform the following procedure commonly called Boot block Recov...

Page 57: ...step 1 through step 4 11 Move the Clear CMOS Recovery jumper back to the standard position pin 1 and pin 2 12 Reconnect any cables that were disconnected 13 Close the computer cover and reconnect the power cords for the computer and monitor to electrical outlets See Completing the parts replacement on page 31 14 Turn on the computer to restart the operating system Chapter 5 Updating system program...

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Page 59: ...t is switched on v The power indicator on the front of the computer is on v The computer voltage matches the voltage available at the electrical outlet for your country or region The monitor screen is blank Verify that v The monitor signal cable is correctly connected to the monitor and to the appropriate monitor connector on the computer v The monitor power cord is correctly connected to the moni...

Page 60: ... v Lenovo ThinkVantage Toolbox used when you are running the Windows operating system v PC Doctor for Rescue and Recovery used when your Windows operating system does not start Notes 1 You can also download the PC Doctor for DOS diagnostic program from http www lenovo com support See PC Doctor for DOS on page 53 for detailed information 2 If you are unable to isolate and repair the problem yoursel...

Page 61: ...m gaining access to the Rescue and Recovery workspace you can run the PC Doctor for Rescue and Recovery diagnostic program after using a rescue medium to recover the computer from failures and gaining access to the Rescue and Recovery workspace See Creating and using a rescue medium on page 39 PC Doctor for DOS You can also download the latest version of the PC Doctor for DOS diagnostic program fr...

Page 62: ...the optical drive when you complete the diagnostic process Cleaning an optical mouse This section provides instructions on how to clean an optical mouse An optical mouse uses a light emitting diode LED and an optical sensor to navigate the pointer If the pointer on the screen does not move smoothly with the optical mouse you might need to clean the mouse To clean an optical mouse do the following ...

Page 63: ... PDF version To view the publication you need to have the Adobe Reader program preinstalled on your computer If the Adobe Reader program has not been installed on your computer a message will be displayed when you attempt to view the PDF file and you will be guided through the Adobe Reader installation 2 The publication is available in other languages on the Lenovo Support Web site at http www len...

Page 64: ...lled Windows 7 or Windows Vista operating system and preinstalled software programs from Lenovo Access Help The Access Help information system provides information about getting started doing basic tasks customizing settings for your personal preference protecting data expanding and upgrading and troubleshooting Note The Access Help information system is only available on computers that have an in...

Page 65: ...dditional resources to help you troubleshoot your computer problem see Information resources on page 55 If you suspect a software problem see the documentation that comes with the operating system or software program including readme files and online help Most computers come with a set of diagnostic programs that help you identify hardware problems For instructions on using the diagnostic programs...

Page 66: ...nd software configuration information Using other services If you travel with your computer or relocate it to a country where your desktop or notebook computer machine type is sold your computer might be eligible for International Warranty Service which automatically entitles you to obtain warranty service throughout the warranty period Service will be performed by service providers authorized to ...

Page 67: ...systems and application programs network setup and configuration upgraded or extended hardware repair services and custom installations Service availability and service name might vary by country or region For more information about these services go to the Lenovo Web site at http www lenovo com Chapter 7 Getting information help and service 59 ...

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Page 69: ...information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors Changes are periodically made to the information herein these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication Lenovo may make improvements and or changes in the product s and or the program s described in this publication at any time without notice The products described in this document are not intended for u...

Page 70: ...n and other rights owners 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 European conformance CE mark Trademarks The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States other countri...

Page 71: ...ics programs using 57 diagnostics troubleshooting 51 DisplayPort connector 9 documentation using 57 drivers device 31 E environment operating 4 Ethernet 1 Ethernet connector 9 exiting Setup Utility 46 expansion 2 external options installing 14 F failure recovering from POST BIOS 48 features 1 flashing the BIOS 47 folder books online 55 front audio and USB assembly replacing 25 front connectors 7 G...

Page 72: ...reinstalling device drivers 41 replacing battery 21 hard disk drive 18 heat sink 22 replacing continued internal speaker 24 Rescue and Recovery 35 workspace Rescue and Recovery 38 Rescue and Recovery workspace 38 resources information 55 S safety v safety information 56 security cable lock 32 enabling or disabling 45 features 2 32 selecting startup device 45 temporary startup device 45 serial port...

Page 73: ...9 diagnostic programs 57 documentation 57 other services 58 passwords 43 Setup Utility 43 V VGA monitor connector 9 video subsystem 1 viewing and changing settings 43 W warranty information 56 Web site Lenovo 57 workspace backup and recovery 38 Index 65 ...

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Page 76: ...Part Number 71Y7204 Printed in USA 1P P N 71Y7204 ...

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