CHAPTER 3: Setting Up and Getting Started

Starting your computer

To start your computer:

1Connect the power, network, mouse, and keyboard cables to your computer according to the setup poster.

2Press the power button on the front of your computer. If your computer does not turn on, check the power cable connections.

Important

Your computer has a built-in, variable-speed fan. In addition, your computer uses a powerful processor which produces heat and has its own cooling fan. Both the system fan and processor fan can run at different speeds at times to ensure correct system cooling. You may notice an increase in the fan noise when the fan is running at high speed and a decrease in the fan noise when it switches to normal speed.

3If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions to select the language and time zone and to create your first user account.

4Attach and turn on any USB or audio peripheral devices, such as printers or scanners. If you need to attach a peripheral device to the parallel or serial ports, turn off your computer first. See the documentation that came with each device for its setup instructions.

5To open your computer’s main menu, click (Start). From that menu, you can run programs and search for files. For more information on using your computer’s menus, see “Using Windows Vista” and “Customizing Windows” in the online User Guide.

Waking up your computer

Tip

For more information about changing the power button mode, see the “Customizing Windows” chapter in the online User Guide.

When you have not used your computer for several minutes, it may enter a power-saving mode called Sleep. While in Sleep mode, the power indicator on the power button flashes.

If your computer is in Sleep mode, move the mouse, press a key on the keyboard, or press the power button to “wake” it up.

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