Acer Aspire 5242 Service Guide

							Chapter 13
•WLAN: 
•Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 5100/5300* (For Aspire 5738G/5738ZG/5738Z/5738/5338 and Aspire 
5738DG only)
•Acer InviLink™ Nplify™ 802.11b/g/Draft-N*
•Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g*
•WPAN: Bluetooth® 2.0+Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)*
•LAN: Gigabit Ethernet; Wake-on-LAN ready
•Modem: 56K ITU V.92; Wake-on-Ring ready
I/O Ports
•Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint reader*
•5-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)
•USB 2.0 port
•HDMI™ port with HDCP support
•External display (VGA) port
•Headphones/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support
•Microphone-in jack
•Line-in jack
•Ethernet (RJ-45) port
•Modem (RJ-11) port
•DC-in jack for AC adapter
Environment
•Temperature:
•Operating: 5 °C to 35 °C
•Non-operating: -20 °C to 65 °C
•Humidity (non-condensing):
•Operating: 20% to 80%
•Non-operating: 20% to 80%
Dimension and weight
• Dimension: 383.82* 250* 37.74 mm 
• Weight: 
						

							4Chapter 1
System Block Diagram
For Aspire 5738DG/5738DZG and Aspire 5738G/5738ZG/5738Z/5738/5338 Series: 
						

							Chapter 15
For Aspire 5536/5536G/5236 Series: 
						

							6Chapter 1
For Aspire 5542G/5542/5242 Series: 
						

							Chapter 17
Your Acer Notebook tour
After knowing your computer features, let us show you around your new computer.
Front View
IconItemDescription
1 Acer Crystal Eye 
webcamWeb camera for video communication.
2 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer output 
(Configuration may vary by models).
3 Power button Turns the computer on and off.
4 Wireless LAN 
communication 
button/indicatorEnables/disables the wireless LAN function. Indicates the status of 
wireless LAN communication.
Bluetooth 
communication 
button/indicatorEnables/disables the Bluetooth function. Indicates the status of 
Bluetooth communication. (only for certain models)
3G 3G WWAN 
communication 
button/indicatorEnables/disables the 3G WWAN function. Indicates the status of 3G 
WWAN communication. (only for certain models)
Backup key Launches Acer Backup Management for three-step data backup. 
						

							8Chapter 1
Closed Front View
5 HDD Indicates when the hard disk drive is active.
Num Lock Lights up when Num Lock is activated.
Caps Lock Lights up when Caps Lock is activated.
6 Keyboard For entering data into your computer.
7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a computer 
mouse.
8 Click buttons (left, 
center* and right) The left and right buttons function like the left and right mouse 
buttons. *The center button serves as Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint 
reader supporting Acer FingerNav 4-way control function 
(only for certain models).
9
Power
1Indicates the computers power status.
Battery
1Indicates the computers battery status.
1. Charging: The light shows amber when the battery is charging. 
2. Fully charged: The light shows blue when in AC mode.
10 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the 
computer.
11 Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad on and off.
12 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.
13 +/- Volume Up/Volume 
DownIncrease system volume/decrease system volume.
14 Acer PowerSmart 
keyPuts your computer into power-saving mode.
15 Speakers Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio output.
IconItemDescription
1 5-in-1 card reader Accepts Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory 
Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card 
(xD).
Note: Push to remove/install the card. Only one card can 
operate at any given time.
2 Latch Locks and releases the lid.
IconItemDescription 
						

							Chapter 19
Left View
#IconItemDescription
1 DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.
2 Ethernet (RJ-45) 
portConnects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-based network.
3 HDMI HDMI port Supports high definition digital video connections.
4 External display 
(VGA) portConnects to a display device (e.g., external monitor, LCD 
projector).
5 USB 2.0 port Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB 
camera).
6 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD player, 
stereo walkman, mp3 player)
Microphone-in jackAccepts inputs from external microphones.
Headphones/
speaker/line-out jack 
with S/PDIF supportConnects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers, 
headphones). 
						

							10Chapter 1
Right View
Rear View
IconItemDescription
1 USB 2.0 port Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB 
camera).
2 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs.
3 Optical disk access 
indicatorLights up when the optical drive is active.
4 Optical drive eject 
buttonEjects the optical disk from the drive.
5 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical drive tray when the computer is turned 
off.
Note: Insert a paper clip to the emergency eject hole to 
eject the optical drive tray when the computer is off.
6 Modem (RJ-11) port Connects to a phone line.
7 Kensington lock slot Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security 
lock.
#ItemDescription
1 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use. 
						

							Chapter 111
Bottom View
IconItemDescription
1 Battery bay Houses the computers battery pack.
2 Battery release latch Releases the battery for removal.
3 Battery lock Locks the battery in position.
4 Hard disk bay Houses the computers hard disk (secured with screws). 
5 Memory compartment Houses the computers main memory.
6 Ventilation slots and 
cooling fanEnable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged 
use.
Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening of the fan. 
						

							12Chapter 1
Indicators
The computer has several easy-to-read status indicators. The front panel indicators are visible even when the 
computer cover is closed.
NOTE: 1. Charging: The light shows amber when the battery is charging. 2. Fully charged: The light shows 
green when in AC mode.
Easy-Launch Buttons
Located above the keyboard are application buttons. These buttons are called easy-launch buttons. They are: 
WLAN, Internet, email, Bluetooth, Arcade and Acer Empowering Technology.
The mail and Web browser buttons are pre-set to email and Internet programs, but can be reset by users. To 
set the Web browser, mail and programmable buttons, run the Acer Launch Manager.You can access the 
Launch Manager by clicking on Start, All Programs, and then Launch Manager to start the application.
Touchpad basics (with two-click buttons)
The following items show you how to use the touchpad with two-click buttons.
•Move your finger across the touchpad (1) to move the cursor.
•Press the left (2) and right (3) buttons located beneath the touchpad to perform selection and execution 
functions. These two buttons are similar to the left and right buttons on a mouse. Tapping on the 
touchpad is the same as clicking the left button.
IconFunctionDescription
Power Indicates the computers power 
status.
Battery Indicates the computers battery 
status.
IconFunctionDescription
Wireless LAN 
communication button/
indicatorEnables/disables the wireless LAN function. Indicates the 
status of wireless LAN communication.
Bluetooth communication 
button/indicatorEnables/disables the Bluetooth function. Indicates the status 
of Bluetooth communication. (only for certain models)
3G 3G WWAN 
communication button/
indicatorEnables/disables the 3G WWAN function. Indicates the 
status of 3G WWAN communication. (only for certain 
models)
Backup key Launches Acer Backup Management for three-step data 
backup.
VOL+ Volume up Increases the sound volume.
VOL- Volume down Decreases the sound volume.
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