Acer 420 series First things first

iii

English

First things first

We would like to thank you for making the TravelMate series of

notebook computers your choice for your mobile computing needs.

We hope you will be happy with your TravelMate as much as we

enjoyed making it for you.

Your guides

To help you use your TravelMate, we have designed a set of guides:

For more information about our products, services, and support

information, please visit our Web site (global.acer.com).

First off, the Just for Starters... poster helps you get

started with setting up your computer.

This User’s Guide introduces you to the many ways your

computer can help you be more productive. This guide

provides clear and concise information about the computer,

so read it thoroughly.

If you ever need to print out a copy, this User’s guide is also

available in PDF (Portable Document Format). Follow these

steps:

1 Click on Start, Programs, AcerSystem.

2 Click on AcerSystem User’s Guide.

Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader

installed. For instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat

Reader, access the Help menu.

TM420-e.book Page iii Thursday, August 22, 2002 10:00 AM

Contents

Main Page First things first Your guides Basic care and tips for using your computer Turning your computer on and off Taking care of your computer Taking care of your AC adapter Taking care of your battery pack Cleaning and servicing Page Contents 1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1 2 Customizing my computer 35 Page Page Page A TravelMate tour Front view Page Left view K Right view Rear view Bottom view Features Performance Display Multimedia Connectivity Human-centric design and ergonomics Expansion Indicators The computer has seven easy-to-read status icons below the display screen. Using the keyboard Special keys Lock keys The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off. Embedded numeric keypad Windows keys The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions. Hot keys Page The Euro symbol Launch Keys Page Touchpad Touchpad basics pressing on the vertical and horizontal scroll bars of Windows applications. Storage Hard disk Optical drive Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray Using software Playing DVD movies Audio Adjusting the volume Using the Audio DJ feature Power management Moving around with your TravelMate Disconnecting from the desktop Moving around What to bring to short meetings What to bring to long meetings Taking the computer home Setting up a home office Traveling with the computer Traveling internationally with the computer Page Securing your computer Using a computer security lock Using passwords Entering passwords Setting passwords Page Page Page Expanding through options Connectivity options Fax/data modem Page IEEE 1394 port PC Card slot Page Upgrade options Memory upgrade Installing memory Page Using system utilities Launch Manager BIOS Utility Page Page Page Frequently-asked questions I opened the display and pressed the power button, but computer does not start or boot-up. Nothing appears on the screen. Image is not full-screen. No audio is heard from the computer. Page Requesting service International Travelers Warranty (ITW) Before you call Page Page Page Microprocessor Data storage Display and video Audio Keyboard and pointing device I/O ports Weight and dimensions Environment Page Page Page Page FCC notice Notice: Shielded cables Notice: Peripheral devices Caution Modem notices FCC TBR 21 Important safety instructions Page Laser compliance statement Lithium battery statement LCD pixel statement Macrovision copyright protection notice A-Tick notice Index A B C D M N O P Q