Gateway E-4610s User Manual
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www.gateway.com 85 Finding other files Use Windows Find or Search to locate other personal data files. For more information, see “Using Windows” in your online User Guide. You can often identify different data file types by looking at the file’s extension (the part of the file name following the last period). For example, a document file might have a .DOC extension and a spreadsheet file might have an .XLS extension. To find files using Find or Search: 1In Windows Vista or Windows XP, click (Start), then click Search. The Search Results window opens. - OR - In Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows 2000, click Start, Find or Search, then click For Files or Folders. The Search Results window opens. 2Type the filename or part of a filename you want to search for, then press E NTER. The search results are displayed. 3To learn about more search options, click Help. File typeFile usually ends in... Documents.DOC, .TXT, .RTF, .HTM, .HTML, .DOT Spreadsheets .XLS, .XLT, .TXT Pictures.JPG, .BMP, .GIF, .PDF, .PCT, .TIF, .PNG, .EPS Movies .MPEG, .MPG, .AVI, .GIF, .MOV Sound and music.WAV, .CDA, .MP3, .MID, .MIDI, .WMA 8512733.book Page 85 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
CHAPTER 5: Maintaining Your Computer 86 8512733.book Page 86 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
CHAPTER6 87 Troubleshooting Safety guidelines First steps Troubleshooting Recovering your system Telephone support 8512733.book Page 87 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting 88 Safety guidelines While troubleshooting your computer, follow these safety guidelines: First steps If you have problems with your computer, try these things first: Make sure that the power cord is connected to your computer and an AC power outlet and that the power outlet is supplying power. If you use a power strip or surge protector, make sure that it is turned on. If a peripheral device does not work, make sure that all connections are secure. Make sure that your hard drive is not full. If an error message appears on the screen, write down the exact message. The message may help Customer Care in diagnosing and fixing the problem. If you added or removed peripheral devices, review the installation procedures you performed and make sure that you followed each instruction. If an error occurs in a program, see the program’s printed documentation or the online help. Warning Never open your computer case while your computer is turned on and while the modem cable, network cable, and power cord are connected. WarningMake sure that you are correctly grounded before accessing internal components. For more information about preventing damage from static electricity, see “Preventing static electricity discharge” on page 38. WarningTo avoid bodily injury, do not attempt to troubleshoot your computer problem if: Power cords or plugs are damaged Liquid has been spilled into your computer Your computer was dropped The case was damaged Instead, unplug your computer and contact a qualified computer technician. HelpFor more information about troubleshooting, click Start, then click Help and Support. Type the keyword/phrase troubleshooting in the Search Help box, then press E NTER. 8512733.book Page 88 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
www.gateway.com 89 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting topics are listed in alphabetical order. Add-in cards See “Expansion cards” on page 94. Audio See “Sound” on page 106. CD or DVD drives The computer does not recognize a disc or the CD or DVD drive Make sure that the disc label is facing up or out, then try again. Try a different disc. Occasionally, discs are flawed or become scratched and cannot be read by the CD or DVD drive. If you are trying to play a DVD, make sure that you have a DVD drive. To identify your drive type, see “Identifying optical drive types” on page 27. Your computer may be experiencing some temporary memory problems. Shut down and restart your computer. Some music CDs have copy protection software. You may not be able to play these CDs on your computer. Clean the disc. For more information, see “Cleaning optical discs” on page 74. Restart your computer, then enter the BIOS Setup utility by pressing and holding F2 while your computer restarts. Make sure that the IDE controllers are enabled. Make sure that the drive is configured correctly by following the instructions in the drive documentation. Reinstall the device driver. 8512733.book Page 89 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting 90 An audio CD does not produce sound Make sure that the disc label is facing up or out, then try again. Some music CDs have copy protection software. You may not be able to play these CDs on your computer. Make sure that the volume controls are turned up. For more information, see “Adjustin g th e volume ” on page 33. Make sure that the mute controls are turned off. For more information, see “Adjustin g th e volume ” on page 33. If you have external speakers attached, make sure that the speakers are turned on and that the cables are connected correctly and securely. Shut down and restart your computer. Clean the disc. For more information, see “Cleaning optical discs” on page 74. Reinstall the appropriate device drivers. A DVD movie will not play Make sure that you have a DVD drive. To identify your drive type, see “Identifying optical drive types” on page 27. Make sure that the disc label is facing up or out, then try again. Try a different disc. Occasionally discs are flawed or become scratched and cannot be read by the DVD drive. Clean the disc. For more information, see “Cleaning optical discs” on page 74. Shut down and restart your computer. Make sure that the DVD program has been installed on your computer. DVDs and DVD drives contain regional codes that help control DVD title exports and help reduce illegal disc distribution. To be able to play a DVD, the disc’s regional code and your DVD drive’s regional code must match. The regional code on your DVD drive is determined by your computer’s delivery address. The regional code for the United States and Canada is 1. The regional code for Mexico is 4. Your DVD drive’s regional code must match the regional code for the disc. The regional code for the disc is on the disc, disc documentation, or disc packaging. If the DVD movie does not play, the disc’s regional code and your DVD drive’s regional code may not match. Reinstall the device driver. 8512733.book Page 90 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
www.gateway.com 91 Diskette drive The diskette drive is not recognized Shut down and restart your computer. You cannot save a file to diskette or you see the message “disk is full or write-protected” Make sure that the write-protection tab on the upper-right corner of the diskette is down (unprotected). The diskette may be full. Delete unnecessary files on the diskette and try again. Make sure that the diskette you are using is IBM-compatible. Try a different diskette. Occasionally diskettes are flawed and cannot be read by the diskette drive. Run Error-checking on the diskette. For more information, see “Checking the hard drive for errors” on page 78. If errors are detected and corrected, try using the diskette again. You see an “Access Denied” or “Write protect” error message Make sure that the write-protection tab on the upper-right corner of the diskette is down (unprotected). The diskette may be full. Delete unnecessary files on the diskette and try again. Make sure that the diskette you are using is IBM-compatible. Try a different diskette. Occasionally diskettes are flawed and cannot be read by the diskette drive. You see a “Disk is full” error message Delete unnecessary files on the diskette. Try a different diskette. Occasionally diskettes are flawed and cannot be read by the diskette drive. Run Error-checking on the diskette. For more information, see “Checking the hard drive for errors” on page 78. If errors are detected and corrected, try using the diskette again. You see a “Non-system disk” or “Disk error” error message Eject the diskette from the diskette drive, then press ENTER. Make sure that the diskette you are using is IBM-compatible. 8512733.book Page 91 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting 92 The diskette drive LED is lit continuously Remove the diskette from the drive. If the light stays on, try restarting your computer. Display The screen resolution is not correct Change the screen resolution from the Display Settings dialog box. For more information, see the “Customizing Windows” chapter in your online User Guide. The computer is running, but there is no picture Adjust the brightness and contrast controls to the center position. Check the cable for bent or damaged pins. Make sure that the monitor is plugged in and turned on. If the monitor is turned on, the power LED should be lit. Make sure that the video cable is connected to the video port on your computer. Connect a monitor that you know works to your computer. Reinstall the device driver. The color is not uniform Make sure that the monitor warms up for at least 30 minutes before making a final judgment about color uniformity. The text on the screen is dim or difficult to read Adjust the brightness and contrast controls. Change the display settings. For more information, see the “Customizing Windows” chapter in your online User Guide. For more information about monitor types, see your monitor and video card documentation. DVD drives See “CD or DVD drives” on page 89. Help For more information about changing the screen resolution, click Start, then click Help and Support. Type the phrase screen resolution in the Search Help box, then press E NTER. 8512733.book Page 92 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
www.gateway.com 93 Ethernet You cannot see the other computers on your network Make sure that your Ethernet cable is plugged into the Ethernet jack on your computer. Make sure that the other end is plugged into a network router, switch, hub, or other network device. Make sure that all computers are plugged into a powered electrical outlet and turned on. Make sure that the router (if you are using one) is plugged into a powered electrical outlet and turned on. Most routers have lights that indicate they are working. For more information, see the documentation that came with your router. If you are using a router, try rebooting it by unplugging its power cord, waiting five seconds, then plugging it back in. Make sure that all computers on your network have the same workgroup name. Make sure that all computers are using the same Subnet Mask. If you assigned IP addresses to the computers, make sure that all computers have different IP addresses. For home networks, IP addresses should be 192.168.N.N where N is a number you assign between 0 and 254. The first N should be the same for all computers on your network and the second N should be different for all computers on your network. The computer does not recognize an Ethernet expansion card Shut down and restart your computer. Make sure that you have installed the required software. For more information, see the documentation that came with your Ethernet card. Reseat the card. For more information about reseating the card, see “Adding or replacing an expansion card” on page 53. For more information about your Ethernet card, see the documentation that came with your Ethernet card. 8512733.book Page 93 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM
CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting 94 Your Ethernet network is running slower than you expect If your Ethernet network is running slower than you expect, check the speed of each Ethernet component. For best results, all Ethernet components should be standard Ethernet (10 Mbps), Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps or 10/100 Mbps), or Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps or 10/100/1000 Mbps). A mixture of Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet components will result in your network running at the slowest component speed. Expansion cards The computer does not recognize an expansion card Shut down and restart your computer. Make sure that you have installed the required software. For more information, see the documentation that came with your expansion card. Reseat the card. For more information, see “Adding or replacing an expansion card” on page 53. File management A file was accidentally deleted If a file was deleted while holding down the S HIFT key, the file cannot be restored. To restore deleted files: 1Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. 2Right-click the file you want to restore, then click Restore. The file is restored to the place where it was originally deleted from. If the Recycle Bin was emptied before you try to restore a file, the file cannot be restored. You need to restore your computer to a working condition See “Recovering your system” on page 107. Floppy drive See “Diskette drive” on page 91. Help For more information about restoring deleted files, click Start, then click Help and Support. Type the keyword/phrase System Restore in the Search Help box, then press E NTER. 8512733.book Page 94 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:47 PM