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The notebook keeps showing the wrong date and time even after 
resetting
■The CMOS battery on the system board may need to be replaced. Contact 
Gateway technical support.
The notebook seems to be operating more slowly than usual
■The hard drive is full or nearly full. Run the Disk Cleanup utility to clear 
out unnecessary and temporary files, and remove unneeded programs and 
files. For more information, see “Using Disk Cleanup” on page 208.
■The hard drive needs defragmenting. Run Disk Defragmenter to 
consolidate files and folders on the hard drive. For more information, see 
“Defragmenting the hard drive” on page 211.
Passwords
Your notebook does not accept your password
Make sure that CAPS LOCK and PAD LOCK are turned off, then retype the 
password.
You forgot your startup password
The password feature (which is set in the BIOS Setup utility) is very secure, with 
no easy way to recover a forgotten password. You must return your notebook 
for repair. Call Gateway Technical Support for instructions.
PC Cards
You installed a PC Card and now your notebook is having problems
■The card is incorrectly inserted. Eject the card and re-insert it with the label 
side up. For more information, see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on 
page 230.
■Make sure that you have correctly installed required software for the 
PC Card. For more information, see your PC Card’s documentation.
■Make sure that the PC Card you installed is not causing a system resource 
conflict. For more information on resource conflicts, see “Device 
installation” on page 246. 
						

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Power
Your notebook is not working on AC power
■Make sure that your AC power adapter is connected correctly to your 
notebook. For more information, see “Connecting the AC adapter” on 
page 18.
■If your notebook is plugged into a surge protector, make sure that the surge 
protector is connected securely to an electrical outlet, turned on, and 
working correctly. To test the outlet, plug a working device, such as a lamp, 
into the outlet and turn it on.
■Make sure that the AC power adapter cables are free from cuts or damage. 
Replace any damaged cables.
Your notebook is not working on battery power
■Make sure that the battery is installed correctly. For more information, see 
“Changing batteries” on page 147.
■Make sure that the battery is fully recharged. For more information, see 
“Recharging the battery” on page 146.
The battery seems to run down very quickly
■Peripheral devices and programs that make heavy use of the hard drive 
drain the battery more quickly. Use AC power whenever possible, and 
readjust the 
Power Properties to Max Battery when AC power is unavailable. 
For more information, see “Changing power settings” on page 152.
■The battery is weakening or defective. All batteries run down in time, but 
if a new battery appears to be defective, contact Gateway about replacing it.
The notebook will not turn on
■The Power button has not been fully engaged. Press and hold the Power 
button for at least a half-second, but no more than three seconds.
■The battery is fully discharged but AC power is not connected. Connect 
the AC adapter to power the notebook and charge the battery.
The notebook turns on and the hard drive status indicator flashes, but 
nothing appears on the display
■Display brightness is set too low. 
						

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The notebook will not enter Hibernate mode
■Hibernate mode is not activated. For more information, see “Activating and 
using Hibernate mode” on page 156.
The notebook will not come out of Standby or Hibernate mode when 
running on battery power.
■The battery fully discharged and AC power is not connected. Connect the 
AC power adapter to power the notebook and charge the battery.
The display goes black while the notebook is still turned on
■Notebook has gone into Standby after sitting idle (power status indicator 
is blinking blue). Press and hold the Power button for about a second to 
resume operations.
■Notebook has gone into low-battery Hibernate (power status indicator is 
blinking blue). Press and hold the Power button for about a second to 
resume operations, and charge the battery.
Printer
The printer will not turn on
■Make sure that the printer is online. Many printers have an online/offline 
button that you may need to press.
■Make sure that the power cable is plugged into an AC power source.
The printer is on but will not print
■Check the cable between the printer and your notebook. Make sure that 
it is connected to the correct port.
■Make sure that the printer is online. Many printers have an online/offline 
button that you may need to press so the printer can start printing. Press 
the button to put the printer online.
■Check the port and cable for bent or broken pins.
■If the printer you want to print to is not the default printer, make sure 
that you have selected it in the printer setup. 
						

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To set a default printer:
1Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 
If your Control Panel is in Category View, click 
Printers and Other 
Hardware
.
2Click/Double-click the Printers and Faxes icon. The Printers and Faxes 
window opens.
3Right-click the name of the printer you want to be the default 
printer, then click 
Set as Default Printer.
■Reinstall the printer driver. See the guide that came with your printer for 
instructions on installing the printer driver.
You see a “Printer queue is full” error message
■Make sure that the printer is not set to work offline.
To make sure that the printer is not set to work offline:
1Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 
If your Control Panel is in Category View, click 
Printers and Other 
Hardware
.
2Click/Double-click the Printers and Faxes icon. The Printers and Faxes 
window opens.
3Right-click the name of the printer you want to use. If the menu 
shows a check mark next to 
Use Printer Offline, click Use Printer Offline 
to clear the check mark.
■Wait until files have been printed before sending additional files to the 
printer.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about printer troubleshooting in 
Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword printer troubleshooter in the Search 
box  , then click the arrow. 
						

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■If you print large files or many files at one time, you may want to add 
additional memory to the printer. See the printer documentation for 
instructions for adding additional memory.
You see a “Printer is out of paper” error message
After adding paper, make sure that the printer is online. Most printers have an 
online/offline button that you need to press after adding paper.
Sound
You are not getting sound from the built-in speakers
■Make sure that headphones are not plugged into the headphone jack. For 
the location of the headphone jack, see “Left side” on page 3.
■Make sure that the volume control on your notebook is turned up. For 
more information, see “Using the audio/video controls” on page 97.
■Make sure that the Windows volume control is turned up. For more 
information, see “Adjusting the volume” on page 90.
■Make sure that Mute controls are turned off. For more information about 
the mute setting, see “System key combinations” on page 30 or “Using the 
audio/video controls” on page 97, or “Adjusting the volume” on page 90.
Video
The external monitor is not working
■Make sure that you have pressed FN+ to activate the external 
monitor option.
■Make sure that the monitor is turned on and that the video cable is 
connected correctly.
TV out is not working
■Make sure that you have activated TV out. For more information, see 
“Viewing the display on a television” on page 141.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about troubleshooting sound issues 
in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword sound troubleshooter in the Search 
box  , then click the arrow. 
						

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■Make sure that the television is turned on and that the S-Video cable is 
connected correctly.
■Televisions in different countries use different standards. If you are 
traveling, you may need to change the TV Out mode. For more 
information, see “Viewing the display on a television” on page 141. 
						

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Telephone support
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Telephone support
Before calling Gateway Technical Support
If you have a technical problem with your notebook, follow these 
recommendations before contacting Gateway Technical Support:
■Make sure that your notebook is connected correctly to a grounded 
AC outlet that is supplying power. If you use a surge protector, make sure 
that it is turned on.
■If a peripheral device, such as a keyboard or mouse, does not appear to 
work, make sure that all cables are plugged in securely.
■If you have recently installed hardware or software, make sure that you 
have installed it according to the instructions provided with it. If you did 
not purchase the hardware or software from Gateway, see the 
manufacturer’s documentation and technical support resources.
■If you have “how to” questions about using a program, see:
■Online Help
■Printed documentation
■The Microsoft Windows documentation
■The software publisher’s Web site
■See the troubleshooting section of this chapter.
■Have your customer ID, serial number, and order number available, along 
with a detailed description of your problem, including the exact text of 
any error messages, and the steps you have taken.
■Make sure that your notebook is nearby at the time of your call. The 
technician may have you follow troubleshooting steps.
WarningTo avoid bodily injury, do not attempt to troubleshoot your 
notebook problem if:
■Power cords or plugs are damaged■Liquid has been spilled into your notebook■Your notebook was dropped■The case was damaged
Instead, unplug your notebook and contact a qualified 
computer technician. 
						

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Telephone numbers
Gateway offers a wide range of customer service, technical support, and 
information services.
Automated troubleshooting system
Telephone numbers
You can access the following services through your telephone to get answers 
to your questions:Service description How to reach
Use an automated menu system and your telephone 
keypad to find answers to common problems.800-846-2118 (US)
877-709-2945 (Canada)
Resource Service description How to reach
Fax on demand 
supportOrder a catalog of documents on common 
problems, then order documents by document 
numbers. The documents will be faxed to you.800-846-4526 (US)
877-709-2951 (Canada)
Gateway’s 
fee-based 
software tutorial 
serviceGet tutorial assistance for software issues 
billed by the minute.800-229-1103 (charged to 
your credit card)
900-555-4695 (charged to 
your telephone bill)
Gateway 
Technical SupportTalk to a Gateway Technical Support 
representative about a non-tutorial technical 
support question. (See “Before calling 
Gateway Technical Support” on page 267 
before calling.)
TDD Technical Support (for hearing impaired) 
is available:
Weekdays 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Central Time
Weekends 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Central Time800-846-2301 (US)
800-846-3609 (Canada 
and Puerto Rico)
605-232-2191 
(all other countries)
800-846-1778 (TDD)
America Online Get support for your America Online ISP 
account800-827-6364 (US)
888-265-4357 (Canada)
CompuServe Get support for your CompuServe ISP account 800-848-8990 (US)
Sales, 
accounting, and 
warrantyGet information about available systems, 
pricing, orders, billing statements, warranty 
service, or other non-technical issues.800-846-2000 (US)
888-888-2037 (Canada) 
						

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Tutoring and training
www.gateway.com
Tutoring and training
Gateway’s Technical Support professionals cannot provide hardware and 
software training or tutorial services. Instead, Gateway recommends the 
following tutoring and training resources.
Self-help
If you have how-to questions about using your Gateway-supplied hardware or 
software, see the following resources:
■The printed or online documentation that came with your hardware or 
software. In many cases, additional product information and online 
documentation for Gateway-supplied hardware can be found in our Web 
site’s Documentation Library
■This user’s guide
■The software publisher’s Web site
Tu t o r i n g
For help on using hardware or software that came with your Gateway notebook, 
contact Gateway’s fee-based tutorial hotline:
■800-229-1103 (rate charged per minute; charged to a major credit card)
■900-555-4695 (rate charged per minute; charged to your telephone bill)
Help and 
SupportFor more how-to information about Windows XP, click 
Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword practice in the Search box 
, then click the arrow. 
						

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Tr a i n i n g
Gateway provides the following in-person and computerized training:
Resource Service description For more information
In-Store Training at 
Gateway storesOur friendly and knowledgeable software 
trainers can teach you how to use the 
Internet and the most popular software 
programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, 
and PowerPoint.www.gateway.com/store
Gateway Learning 
LibrariesA variety of courses and tutorials are 
available on CD. Select from several 
easy-to-use learning libraries.www.gateway.com/training
Online Training 
from 
Learn@GatewayMore than 450 online courses are available 
from Learn@Gateway. All you have to do is 
go online and log in. You select the subject 
matter, and the learning format (self-paced 
tutorials or virtual classrooms), all from the 
comfort of your notebook.www.learnatgateway.com/