Acer Travelmate 340 Service Guide

							Chapter 225
BIOS Setup Utility
The BIOS Setup Utility is a hardware configuration program built into your computer’s BIOS (Basic Input/
Output System).
Your computer is already properly configured and optimized, and you do not need to run this utility.  However, 
if you encounter configuration problems, you may need to run Setup.  Please also refer to Chapter 4 
Troubleshooting when a problem arises.
To activate the BIOS Utility, press F2
 during POST (while the TravelMate logo is being displayed).
Navigating the BIOS Utility
There are seven menu options: System Information, Basic System Settings, Startup Configuration, Onboard 
Devices Configuration, System Security, Power Management and Load Default Settings. 
Use the cursor up/down 
(­¯) keys to select a menu item, then press Enter
.  
Within a menu, navigate through the BIOS Utility by following these instructions:
TPress the cursor up/down
 (­¯) keys to move between parameters.
TPress the cursor left/right 
(®¬) keys to change the value of a parameter.
TPress Esc
 while you are in any of the menu options to return to the main menu.
NOTE: 
You can change the value of a parameter if it is enclosed in square brackets.
NOTE: 
Navigation keys for a particular menu are shown on the bottom of the screen.
At the main menu, press Esc
 to exit the BIOS Utility.  If you make any changes, the following dialog box 
displays:
If you would like to keep the changes you made, use the cursor left/right
 (®¬) keys to select Ye s
; then press 
Enter
. Choose No
 if you want to discard the changes you made.
System Utilities
Chapter 2
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							26Chapter 2
System Information
The System Information sub-menu displays basic and important information about your computer.
NOTE: 
The screen above is a sample and may not reflect the actual data on your computer.
The following table describes the information in this sub-menu.
NOTE: 
 “x” may refer to a series of numbers and/or characters or a combination of both.
ParameterDescriptionFormat
CPU Type & Speed Shows the type and speed in Megahertz (MHz) of 
the Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Floppy Disk Drive Shows the floppy disk drive type
Hard Disk Drive Shows the size or capacity of the hard disk
HDD Serial Number Shows the serial number of the hard disk
System with Shows the EasyLink Combo Drive type, CD-ROM 
or DVD-ROM.
System BIOS Version Shows the version number of the BIOS. Vx Rx (version and release 
numbers)
VGA BIOS Version Shows the version number of the VGA display 
BIOS.Vx Rx (version and release 
numbers)
Serial Number Shows the serial number of the system. It is the 
number identical to the system serial number 
labelled at the bottom of the system unit. The 
default serial number is scanned while 
manufacturing, and stored to the LCD inverter.
Asset  Tag  Number Shows the asset tag number of the computer. The 
default setting is empty. Customers can input it 
from the Notebook Manager. It will be stored in 
LCD inverter.
Product Name Shows the official name of the product “brand 
name + model name”. The default setting of 
TravelMate 340. Product name will be stored in 
LCD inverter
.
Manufacturer Name Shows the name of the manufacturer and stored 
in LCD inverter. The default setting is Acer.
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							Chapter 227
The items in this sub-menu are important and vital information about your computer.  If you experience 
computer problems and need to contact technical support, this data helps our service personnel know more 
about your computer.
Basic System Settings
The Basic System Settings sub-menu allows you to set the system date and time.
The following table describes the parameters in this sub-menu.
Startup Configuration
The Startup Configuration sub-menu contains parameter values that define how your computer behaves on 
system startup.
UUID Shows the universally unique identifier number of 
the computer, also known as GUID (Globally 
Unique Identifier). It is the requirement 
specification of SMBIOS 2.1 (System 
Management BIOS). UUID are fixed-size 128-bit 
value and are unique across both space and time 
as well as stored in LCD inverter. UUID number 
can identify a person and even confidential 
documents user created.
ParameterDescriptionFormat
Date Sets the system date. DDD MMM DD, YYYY (day-of-the-week month day, year)
Time Sets the system time. HH:MM:SS (hour:minute:second)
ParameterDescriptionFormat
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							28Chapter 2
The following table describes the parameters in this sub-menu.  Settings in boldface are the default and 
suggested parameter settings.
Setting the Boot Drive Sequence
The Boot Drive Sequence section lists boot priorities (1st, 2nd and 3rd) for bootable drives in your computer.
For example, the default value (1st:Floppy Disk, 2nd:Hard Disk, and 3rd:CD-ROM) tells the computer to first 
search for a bootable floppy disk in the floppy drive.  If it finds one present, it boots up from that floppy disk.  If 
not, the computer continues by booting up from the hard disk.  If it cannot boot up from the hard disk, it 
continues to search for a bootable CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.
To set the boot drive sequence, use the cursor up/down (­¯) keys to select a priority level (1st, 2nd, or 3rd); 
then use the cursor left/right (®¬) keys to select the device for that priority level.
ParameterDescriptionOptions
Boot Display Sets the display on boot-up.
When set to 
Auto, the computer automatically 
determines the display device when the computer 
starts up.  If an external display device (e.g., 
monitor) is connected, it becomes the boot 
display; otherwise, the computer LCD is the boot 
display.  When set to 
Both, the computer outputs 
to both the computer LCD and an external display 
device if one is connected.Auto or Both
Screen Expansion Enables or disables the screen expansion 
feature.  When enabled, DOS screens expand to 
fill the LCD.Disabled or Enabled
USB Function Support Enables or disables the Universal Serial Bus 
(USB) port.Disabled or Enabled
Hotkey Beep Enables or disables a system beep when a 
hotkey or key combination is pressed.Enabled or Disabled
Fast Boot Fast Boot allows your computer to boot up and 
resume from Sleep mode (including Standby and 
Hibernation modes) faster.  When enabled, the 
operating system and BIOS communicate 
information about Plug-and-Play resources and 
previous boot-ups.Enabled or Disabled
Boot Drive Sequence Specifies the order in which the computer starts 
up from.  See the section below.1st: Floppy Disk, 
2nd: Hard Disk, 
3rd: CD-ROM
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							Chapter 229
Onboard Devices Configuration
The parameters in this screen are for advanced users only.  You do not need to change the values in this 
screen because these values are already optimized.
The Onboard Devices Configuration sub-menu assigns resources to basic computer communication 
hardware.
The following table describes the parameters in this sub-menu.  Settings in boldface
 are the default and 
suggested parameter settings.
ParameterDescriptionOptions
Serial Port Enables or disabled the serial port.
When enabled, you can set the base I/O address and 
interrupt request (IRQ) of the serial port.Enabled or Disabled
3F8h, 3E8h, 2F8h or 2E8h
4 or 11
IrDA Port Enables or disables the infrared port.
When enabled, you can set the base I/O address, 
interrupt request (IRQ) and direct memory access (DMA) 
channel of the infrared port.Enabled or Disabled
2F8h, 3E8h, 3F8h, or 2E8h
3 or 10
Parallel Port Enables or disables the parallel port.
When enabled, you can set the base I/O address, 
interrupt request (IRQ) and operation mode of the 
parallel port.
If operation mode is set to ECP, the direct memory 
access (DMA) channel of the parallel port is set to 1.Enabled or Disabled
378h, 278h, or 3BCh
7 or 5
ECP, EPP, Standard, or Bi-directional
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							30Chapter 2
System Security
The System Security sub-menu allows you to safeguard your computer and data with passwords and other 
security measures.
The following table describes the parameters in this screen.  Settings in boldface
 are the default and 
suggested parameter settings.
Setting a Password
Follow these steps: 
TUse the cursor up/down keys to highlight a Password parameter (Setup, Power-on or Hard Disk) 
and press the Enter
 key.  The password box appears:
TType a password.  The password may consist of up to seven characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9).
 
IMPORTANT:
Be very careful when typing your password because the characters do not appear on the 
screen. 
TPress Enter
.  Retype the password to verify your first entry and press Enter
.
After setting the password, the computer automatically sets the chosen password parameter to Present.
Three password types protect your computer from unauthorized access.  Setting these passwords creates 
several different levels of protection for your computer and data:
ParameterDescriptionOptions
Setup Password When set, this password protects the computer 
and this BIOS Utility from unauthorized entry.  
See the following section for instructions on how 
to set a password.Disabled or Enabled
Power-on Password When set, this password protects the computer  
from unauthorized entry.  See the following 
section for instructions on how to set a password.Disabled or Enabled
Hard Disk Password When set, this password protects the hard disk 
from unauthorized access.  See the following 
section for instructions on how to set a password.Disabled or Enabled
Processor Serial Number The Pentium III processor includes a unqiue 
serial number which allows individual CPUs to be 
identified.  You can turn off this feature by setting 
this parameter to Disabled.Enabled or Disabled
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							Chapter 231
TSetup Password prevents unauthorized entry to the BIOS Utility. Once set, you must key-in this 
password to gain access to the BIOS Utility.  
TPower-On Password secures your computer against unauthorized use.  Combine the use of this 
password with password checkpoints on boot-up and resume from hibernation for maximum 
security.
THard Disk Password protects your data by preventing unauthorized access to your hard disk.  
Even if the hard disk is removed from the computer and moved to another computer, it cannot be 
accessed without the Hard Disk Password.
When a password is set, a password prompt appears on the left-hand corner of the display screen.
1.When the Setup Password is set, the following prompt appears when you press F2 to enter the BIOS 
Utility at boot-up.
Type the Setup Password and press Enter to access the BIOS Utility.
2.When the Power-on Password is set, the following prompt appears at boot-up.
Type the Power-on Password (a symbol appears for each character you type) and press Enter to use the 
computer.   If you enter the password incorrectly, an x symbol appears.  Try again and press Enter.
3.When the Hard Disk Password is set, the following prompt appears at boot-up.
Type the Hard Disk Password (a symbol appears for each character you type) and press Enter to use the 
computer.   If you enter the password incorrectly, an x symbol appears.  Try again and press Enter.
IMPORTANT:You have three chances to enter a password.  If you successfully entered the password, the 
following symbol appears.
If you fail to enter the password correctly after three tries, the following message or symbol appears.
Setting passwords
Removing a Password
Should you decide to remove a password, do the following:
TUse the cursor up/down (­¯) keys to highlight a Password parameter (Setup, Power-on or Hard 
Disk).
TUse the cursor left/right (®¬) key to remove the password.
NOTE: When you want to remove the Hard Disk password, you are prompted for the Hard Disk password 
before it is removed.
NOTE:   The jumper setting switch 6 of SW3 on the system main board, the default setting is “OFF: check 
password”, this means that the system will always check the password that the user set in. However, if 
users miss their own password, the servicers can switch the jumper to “ON: Bypass password” and 
then the Setup password and Power-on password will be unlock. Therefore, users can reset their new 
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							32Chapter 2
password. (Refer to Chapter 5 Jumper and Connector Information for more information on setting the 
switches.)
IMPORTANT: If Setup password is forgot by users, service technician may need to update computer’s BIOS or 
set up jumper SW3 switch 6 on mainboard to bypass. 
IMPORTANT:If Power-on password is forgot by users, service technician may set the jumper SW3 to bypass 
password to remove the password.   
IMPORTANT:  If Hard Disk Password is missing, service technician can solve the lock of hard disk by using 
master HDD password utility.   For the HDD password utility, service technican can contact with local 
service management level. 
Changing a Password
To change a password, follow these steps:
TRemove the current password.  See “Removing a Password” on page 31.
TSet a new password.  See “Three password types protect your computer from unauthorized 
access. Setting these passwords creates several different levels of protection for your computer 
and data:” on page 30.
Power Management
The Power Management screen contains parameters that are related to power-saving and power 
management.
The following table describes the parameters in this screen.  Settings in boldface are the default and 
suggested parameter settings.
NOTE: If your system has ACPI, all power management functions are taken care of by Windows.
ParameterDescriptionOptions or Format
System Resume Timer When enabled and the system resume 
date and time are valid, the computer 
resumes (wakes up) at the set time and 
date.Disabled or Enabled
MMM DD,YYYY
(day/month/year)
HH:MM:SS (hour:minute:second)
Battery-low Warning Beep Enables or disables warning beeps 
during a battery-low condition.Enabled or Disabled
Sleep Upon Battery-low Enables or disables the Hibernation 
function during a battery-low condition
When the computer is very low on battery 
power, the computer will enter 
Hibernation mode if Sleep Manager is 
installed, active and the Hibernation file is 
valid. Enabled or Disabled
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							Chapter 233
Load Default Settings
If you want to restore all parameter settings to their default values, select this menu item and press Enter
.  The 
following dialog box displays.
If you would like to load default settings for all parameters, use the cursor left/right
 (®¬) keys to select Ye s
; 
then press Enter
. Choose No
 if otherwise.
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							34Chapter 2
Flash Utility
The BIOS flash memory update is required for the following conditions:
TNew versions of system programs
TNew features or options
Use the AFlash utility to update the system BIOS flash ROM. 
NOTE: 
Do not install memory-related drivers (XMS, EMS, DPMI) when you use AFlash.
NOTE: 
This program contains a readme.txt file.   This readme.txt file will introduct how to use AFlash utility.
Executing Flash Program
IMPORTANT:
If this diskette is not bootable, do the following actions before you use it:
1.
Create a bootable disk.
2.
Copy all AFlash files into this bootable diskette.
3.
Put the bootable disk into TravelMate 340 series mobile, then re-boot.
IMPORTANT:
Never turn off the system power while Flash BIOS is programming.  This will damage your 
system.
4.
After Flash BIOS is done, reboot the system.
NOTE: 
If there are any problems occured during BIOS updated, “Index of PQA Diagnostic Error Code, 
Message” on page 64 for troubleshooting. 
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