Main
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Contents
1G  e  t  t  i  n  g   H  e  l  p                 
2   Checking Out Your Gateway Computer  
3G  e  t  t  i  n  g   S  t  a  r  t  e  d                 
ii 
              4   Using Drives and Ports
5   Maintaining Your Computer                
6 Troubleshooting
iii              
7   Networking Your Computer
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              Chapter 1
Getting Help                
2
              Help and Support
To start Help and Support:                
Searching for a topic
              Using Y our C omputer guide
To access the Using Your Computer guide:            
Page
              Chapter 2
Checking Out Your Gateway Computer                
6
              Micro Tow er
Front                
Your computer includes the following components.
            Page
8              
Back
Your computer includes the following components:              
Using Your  Computer 
              10 
              Mid Towe r
Front                 
Your computer includes the following components.
              12 
              Back
Your computer includes the following components:              
14 
              Using Your  Computer 
            Page
            Page
            Page
19              
Accessories
Memory                
Printers
Storage Devices             
Page
              Chapter 3
Getting Started                
22 
              Working safely
Reducing eye strain              
Setting up your computer desk and chair
Setting up your computer and computer accessories                
Sitting at your computer
24               
Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain
Protecting from power source problems                
Checking the voltage selection
              To set the voltage selection switch:
26               
Starting your computer
To start your computer:                
1 2 3
4                
Waking up your computer
              Turning off your computer
To turn off your computer:                
1 2
              Restarting (rebooting) your computer
              Using the keyboard
Standard keyboard                
This keyboard is the basic model of keyboard available with your computer.
Press these keys... To...                
F(Search utility), R(Run utility), and E(Explorer utility).
              Multifunction keyboard
              Special-function buttons
32               
Adjusting the volume
To adjust the overall volume level using hardware controls:                
Connecting the modem
To connect the modem:                
1
              Connecting to a wired Ethernet network
To connect to a wired Ethernet network:                
1
2                
Installing a printer, scanner, or other  peripheral device
            Page
              Chapter 4
Using Drives and Ports              
Using the diskette drive 
            Page
38               
Using the Zip drive
To use a Zip disk:                
1
2                
3
              Using the memory card reader
Memory card types                
Inserting a memory card
To use a memory card:                
1 2
              To remove a memory card:
              Using the CD or DVD drive
Identifying drive types                
42 
              Inserting a CD or DVD
To insert a CD or DVD:                
1 2
3              
Playing a CD
Playing a DVD                
Creating CDs and DVDs
            Page
              Chapter 5
Maintaining Your Computer                
46 
              Caring for your computer
Updating Windows                
To run Windows Update:
1 2 3              
Protecting your computer from viruses
To scan for viruses:                
1
            Page
To update Norton AntiVirus:                
1 2
3                
4
              Cleaning your computer
Cleaning the exterior                
50 
              Cleaning the keyboard
Cleaning the monitor                 
Cleaning the mouse
To clean your optical mouse:            
Page
52                 
Cleaning CDs or DVDs
              Restoring your system
              Preventing static electricity discharge
              Maintaining the Micro Tower case
Opening the case            
Page
              Closing the case
              Installing memory
            Page
              Replacing the system battery
              Maintaining the Mid Tower case
Opening the case              
Closing the case
            Page
            Page
              Installing memory
              Replacing the system battery
            Page
            Page
68               
Safety guidelines
First steps                
69
              Troubleshooting
Add-in cards                
The computer does not recognize an add-in card
Audio                
Battery
              70 
Audio CD does not produce sound                
A DVD movie will not play
71              
Computer
The computer will not start                
Diskette drive
The diskette drive is not recognized                
You cannot save a file to diskette or you see the message disk is full or  write-protected
              DVD drives
File management                
A file was accidentally deleted
To restore deleted files:                
1 2
              Hard drive
You see an Insufficient disk  space  err or messa ge                
You see a Data error mess age
You see a Non-system disk o r disk error error message                
74 
              Internet
You cannot connect to the Internet                
You see an Unable to loca te ho st message  and ar e unab le to br ow se the I ntern et
Connecting to a Web site takes too long                
People are sending you e-mail messages, but you have not received any mail
              Keyboard
The keyboard does not work                
A keyboard character keeps repeating or you see a keyboard stuck or key failure  error message
Liquid spilled in the keyboard                
Memory
              Memory card reader
Drive letters for the memory card slots do  not appea r in the  My C omputer  windo w                
Modem (dial-up)
Your modem does not dial or does not connect                
To check the dialing properties:
              77
You cannot connect to the Internet                
Your 56K modem does not connect at 56K
The modem is not recognized by your computer                
78 
              1 2
3 4 5                
2
The modem is noisy when it dials and connects                
To turn down the modem volume:
              Monitor
The screen resolution is not corre ct                
The computer is running but there is no picture
The color is not uniform                
80 
              Mouse
The mouse does not work                
The mouse works erratically
81              
Networks
You cannot connect to your company network                
Passwords
Your computer does not accept your password                
Power
              1
2                
3
You see a Printer queue is full error message                
To make sure that the printer is not set to work offline:
              1
2                
3
83                
You see a Printer i s out of  paper error  message
              Sound
You are not getting sound from the speakers             
Page
              Chapter 7
Networking Your Computer                
86 
              Introduction to networking
Using a network                
Sharing a single Internet connection
Sharing drives                
Sharing peripheral devices
              Selecting a network connection
Wireless Ethernet network                
Using a wireless Ethernet network
              88 
Wireless Ethernet speed and frequency                
Network Type Speed Frequency Advantages Disadvantages
              89
Example access point router wireless Ethernet network              
90 
Equipment you need for an access point wireless Ethernet network              
1
2                
3
92               
Wired Ethernet network
Using a wired Ethernet network                
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit Ethernet
              93
Example router-based wired Ethernet network                
Equipment you need for a router-based wired Ethernet network
94                 
1
              Creating an Ethernet network
Installing Ethernet cards and drivers              
Making sure your broadband connection works
Naming the computers and the workgroup                
To identify this computer on the network:
1                
2 3 4 5
              Configuring the TCP/IP protocol
Terms you should know                
Using a DHCP server
To use a DHCP server              
3
4                
5
            Page
              Setting up a wireless Ethernet network
Mounting the access point                
Configuring the access point
To configure the Linksys wireless access point router with 4-port switch:                
1
              8 9
10                 
11  12 
13  14  15                 
Connecting to an access point network
              1
3                
4
102                 
Configuring computer settings for an a ccess poi nt
              1
2              
3
4 5                
6
7                
104 
              1
2              
3
4 5                
6
7                
8
              Setting up a wired Ethernet network
Setting up a network using a router            
Page
108                 
5
              Configuring your router
To configure the Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL router:                
1
2                
3
              Testing your netw ork
110               
Sharing your resources
Sharing an Internet connection                
To set up Internet Explorer on each computer on your Ethernet network:
1                
2
            Page
            Page
Accessing the Internet To access the Internet from your computer:                
1 2
              Sharing drives and printers
Sharing drives or folders                
To share drives or folders:
1                
2
              3
4                
5
Un-sharing drives, folders, and files To un-share drives or folders:                
1
              Using the network
116                 
Viewing shared drives and folders To view shared drives and folders:
              1 2
3 4                
5
Mapping a network drive                
To map a network drive:
            Page
118               
Connecting to hotspots
119              
Troubleshooting Your Ethernet network
Wired Ethernet network                
You cannot see the other computer s on your n etwork
The computer does not recognize an add-in Ethernet card                
Your wired Ethernet network is r unning slow er than y ou expect
              Wireless Ethernet network
You turned the wireless on, bu t it tak es a while  to c onnect.                
Your connection on the network  seems int ermitte nt.
Your wireless Ethernet network is running slower than you expect                
To check the signal strength of your wireless Ethernet network:
              3
            Page
              Appendix A
124               
Important safety information
Setting up your system                
Care during use
Replacement parts and accessories              
Regulatory compliance statements
United States of America                
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Unintentional emitter per FCC  Part15
FCC declaration of conformity              
126 
              Canada
Industry Canada (IC) Unintentional emitter per ICES-003                
Telecommunications per Industry Canada CS-03 (for products fitted with an IC-compliant modem)
Laser safety statement                
128 
              Notices
All Rights Reserved                
Trademark Acknowledgments
              Index