Gateway 200 series User Manual

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Managing Power
While your notebook is running on battery power, you 
should manage power consumption to get the most use out 
of the battery. Read this chapter to learn how to:
■Check and recharge the battery
■Recalibrate the battery
■Change batteries
■Extend the life of the battery by conserving battery 
power and using alternate power sources
■Change power-saving settings 

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Monitoring the battery charge
Closely monitor the battery charge. When the battery charge gets low, change 
the battery or connect to AC power immediately to prevent losing any unsaved 
work.
Monitor the battery charge by:
■Double-clicking the power cord icon  or battery icon  in the taskbar. 
The Power Meter dialog box opens.
■Pressing FN+STATUS to view the power status box, which opens in the 
upper-left corner of the screen. The power status box shows the...

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Recharging the battery
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■Pressing the battery meter button on the battery. The battery meter lights 
indicate the percentage of battery charge remaining.
■Waiting for a Low Battery warning message to appear.
If your battery charge indicator displays what looks like an inaccurate charge, 
you may need to recalibrate the battery. For more information, see 
“Recalibrating the battery” on page 144.
Recharging the battery
The battery recharges while it is installed and your notebook is...

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Recalibrating the battery
If your notebook unexpectedly goes into Standby mode while you are using it 
but the battery charge is not low, you may need to recalibrate your battery. 
You should also recalibrate the battery periodically to maintain the accuracy 
of the battery gauge.
To recalibrate the battery:
1Disconnect the AC adapter
2Turn on your notebook.
3As soon as it starts and you see a startup screen, press F2. The BIOS Setup 
utility opens.
4Open the...

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Changing batteries
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Changing batteries
If your notebook is connected to AC power, you can change the battery while 
the notebook is turned on. If your notebook is not connected to AC power, 
you must turn the notebook off while changing the battery.
Replacing the battery
To replace the battery:
1If your notebook is on and is connected to AC power, go to Step 2.
-OR-
If your notebook is on and is not plugged connected to AC power, save 
your work and turn off the notebook.
2Close the...

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4Slide the locking battery release latch (the left latch in the following 
picture) to the unlock position.
5Slide and hold the remaining battery release latch (the right latch in the 
preceding picture) and slide the battery out of the bay.
6Slide a recharged battery into the bay. Make sure the battery is fully inserted 
into the bay.
7Slide the locking battery release latch to the locked position.
8Turn your notebook over.
9Open the LCD panel and press the...

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Extending battery life
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Extending battery life
Conserving battery power
While using the battery to power your notebook, conserve power by:
■Dimming the display as low as is comfortable.
■Removing PC Cards when you do not need them. Many PC Cards use a 
small amount of power while inserted, even if they are not being used.
■Modifying the power management settings for maximum power savings. 
For more information, see “Changing power settings” on page 149.
■Closing the LCD panel to turn...

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Using alternate power sources
To extend battery life, use alternate power sources whenever possible.
■If traveling internationally, take electrical adapters. Save the battery for 
times when you cannot use a power adapter. If you plan on taking your 
AC power adapter, also take a single-plug surge protector.
■If you will have access to an EmPower™ in-flight power receptacle or an 
automobile cigarette lighter, use an airplane/automobile power adapter or...

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Changing power settings
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Changing power settings
You can change the function of the power button, Standby system key, and 
power-saving timers by changing power settings on your notebook.
You can customize power settings from the Windows Control Panel by selecting 
power schemes, setting power alarms, adjusting advanced power settings, and 
activating Hibernate mode.
Power schemes (groups of power settings) let you change power saving options 
such as when the display or hard drive is...

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Changing the power scheme
To change the power scheme:
1In Windows XP, click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel 
window opens. If your Control Panel is in Category View, click 
Performance 
and Maintenance
.
- OR -
In Windows 2000, click 
Start, Settings, then click Control Panel. The Control 
Panel window opens.
2Click/Double-click the Power Options or Power Management icon. The Power 
Options Properties dialog box opens.