Gateway 200stm User Manual

							210
Chapter 14: Maintaining Your Computer
www.gateway.com
Caring for your computer
To extend the life of your system:

Be careful not to bump or drop your computer, and do not put any objects 
on top of it. The case, although strong, is not made to support extra weight.

When transporting your computer, we recommend that you put it in a 
carrying case.

Keep diskettes, modular drives, and your computer away from magnetic 
fields. Magnetic fields can erase data on both diskettes and hard drives.

Never turn off your computer when the hard drive light is on because data 
on the hard drive could be lost or corrupted.

Avoid subjecting your computer to extreme temperature changes. The case 
and LCD panel can become brittle and easy to break in cold temperatures 
and can melt or warp in high temperatures. Damage due to either extreme 
is not covered by your warranty. As a general rule, your computer is safest 
at temperatures that are comfortable for you.

Keep all liquids away from your computer. When spilled onto computer 
components, almost any liquid can result in extremely expensive repairs 
that are not covered under your warranty.

Avoid dusty or dirty work environments. Dust and dirt can clog the 
internal mechanisms.
Use the following table to set up a regular maintenance schedule.
Maintenance task Immediately 
after purchaseMonthly When needed See...
Create an emergency diskette X page 212
Check for viruses X X page 214
Manage hard drive space X page 217
Clean up hard drives X X page 218
Scan hard drive for errors X X page 219
Defragment hard drive X X page 221
Back up files X X page 223 
						

							211
Caring for your computer
www.gateway.com Recalibrate the battery X page 150
Clean computer case X page 226
Clean keyboard X page 227
Clean computer screen X page 227
Clean mouse X page 227
Maintenance task Immediately 
after purchaseMonthly When needed See... 
						

							212
Chapter 14: Maintaining Your Computer
www.gateway.com
Creating an emergency startup 
diskette
An emergency startup diskette is a diskette that contains critical information that 
you need to start your computer if Windows fails to start. You should create a 
startup diskette as soon as you get your computer.
To create an emergency startup diskette in Windows XP:
1Insert a blank diskette labeled Startup into the diskette drive.
2Click Start, then click My Computer. The My Computer window opens.
3Right-click 3½ Floppy (A:), then click Format. The Format 3½ Floppy (A:) 
dialog box opens.
ImportantIf the diskette drive is not in the modular bay, you need to 
swap modules. For more information about swapping 
modules, see “Changing drives” on page 96. 
						

							213
Creating an emergency startup diskette
www.gateway.com
4Click to select the Create an MS-DOS startup disk check box, then click Start. 
A message warns you that any information on the diskette will be erased.
5When you see the warning message, click OK. Windows copies files to the 
emergency startup diskette.
6When Windows finishes copying files, remove the diskette from the 
diskette drive.
7Slide the write-protect tab up to prevent the diskette from being erased or 
infected by viruses.
8Store your emergency startup diskette in a safe place with your other 
backup software media.
Not write-
protectedWrite-
protected 
						

							214
Chapter 14: Maintaining Your Computer
www.gateway.com
Protecting your computer from 
viruses
A virus is a program that attaches itself to a file on a computer, then spreads 
from one computer to another. Viruses can damage data or cause your computer 
to malfunction. Some viruses go undetected for a period of time because they 
are activated on a certain date.
Protect your computer from a virus by:

Using the Norton® AntiVirus program to check files and programs that are 
on diskettes, attached to e-mail messages, or downloaded from the 
Internet.

Checking all programs for viruses before installing them.

Disabling macros on suspicious Microsoft Word and Excel files. These 
programs will warn you if a document that you are opening contains a 
macro that might have a virus.

Periodically updating the Norton AntiVirus program to protect against the 
latest viruses.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about protecting your computer 
against viruses in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help 
and Support.
Type the keyword viruses in the HelpSpot Search box 
, then click the arrow. 
						

							215
Protecting your computer from viruses
www.gateway.com
To scan for viruses: 
1Click Start, All Programs, Norton AntiVirus, then click Norton AntiVirus 2002. 
Norton AntiVirus opens.
2Click Scan for Viruses.
3Click the type of scan you want to make in the Scan area, then under 
Actions, click 
Scan.
Scan for
viruses
Scan 
						

							216
Chapter 14: Maintaining Your Computer
www.gateway.com
To remove a virus:
1If Norton AntiVirus finds a virus, follow all on-screen instructions to 
remove the virus.
2Turn off your computer and leave it off for at least 30 seconds.
3Turn on your computer and rescan for the virus.
To update Norton AntiVirus:
1Make sure that you are connected to the Internet.
2Click Start, All Programs, Norton AntiVirus, then click LiveUpdate - Norton 
AntiVirus
. The LiveUpdate wizard opens.
3Follow the on-screen instructions to update your Norton AntiVirus 
program with the latest virus protection files.
4When the program has finished, click Finish. 
						

							217
Managing hard drive space
www.gateway.com
Managing hard drive space
Windows provides several utilities you can use to manage your hard drive.
Checking hard drive space
To check hard drive space:
1In Windows XP, click Start, then click My Computer. The My Computer 
window opens.
- OR -
In Windows 2000, double-click the 
My Computer icon. The My Computer 
window opens.
2Right-click the drive that you want to check for available file space, then 
click 
Properties. Drive space information appears. 
						

							218
Chapter 14: Maintaining Your Computer
www.gateway.com
Using Disk Cleanup
Delete unnecessary files, such as temporary Windows files, to free hard drive 
space.
To use the Windows Disk Cleanup program:
1In Windows XP, click Start, then click My Computer. The My Computer 
window opens.
- OR -
In Windows 2000, double-click the 
My Computer icon. The My Computer 
window opens.
2Right-click the hard drive that you want to delete files from, for example 
Local Disk (C:), then click 
Properties. The Properties dialog box opens at the 
General tab.
3Click Disk Cleanup. The Disk Cleanup dialog box opens.
4Make sure that the check box beside each file type you want to delete is 
selected. For more information about file types you can delete, read the 
descriptions in the Disk Cleanup dialog box. 
						

							219
Managing hard drive space
www.gateway.com
5Click OK, then click Ye s.
Checking the hard drive for errors
The Error-checking program examines the hard drive for physical flaws and file 
and folder problems. This program corrects file and folder problems and marks 
flawed areas on the hard drive so Windows does not use them.
If you use your computer several hours every day, you probably want to run 
Error-checking once a week. If you use your computer less frequently, once a 
month may be adequate. Also use Error-checking if you encounter hard drive 
problems.
To check the hard drive for errors:
1In Windows XP, click Start, then click My Computer. The My Computer 
window opens.
- OR -
In Windows 2000, double-click the 
My Computer icon. The My Computer 
window opens.
2Right-click the hard drive that you want to check for errors, for example 
Local Disk (C:), then click 
Properties. The Properties dialog box opens.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about keeping the hard drive space 
free of unnecessary files in Windows XP, click Start, then 
click Help and Support.
Type the keyword disk cleanup in the HelpSpot Search 
box  , then click the arrow.