Gateway m675 User Manual

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Cleaning your notebook
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Cleaning your notebook
Keeping your notebook clean and the vents free from dust helps keep your 
notebook performing at its best. You may want to gather these items and put 
together a notebook cleaning kit:
■A soft, lint-free cloth
■An aerosol can of air that has a narrow, straw-like extension
■Isopropyl alcohol
■Cotton swabs
■A CD or DVD drive cleaning kit
Cleaning the exterior
Always turn off your notebook and other peripherals, then remove the battery 
before cleaning any components.
Use a damp, lint-free cloth to clean your notebook and other parts of your 
system. Do not use abrasive or solvent cleaners because they can damage the 
finish on components.
Your notebook is cooled by air circulated through the vents on the case, so 
keep the vents free of dust. With your notebook turned off and unplugged, 
brush the dust away from the vents with a damp cloth. Be careful not to drip 
any water into the vents. Do not attempt to clean dust from the inside of your 
notebook.
WarningWhen you shut down your notebook, the power turns off, 
but some electrical current still flows through your 
notebook. To avoid possible injury from electrical shock, 
unplug the power cord and modem cable from the wall 
outlets. 
						

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Cleaning the keyboard
You should clean the keyboard occasionally by using an aerosol can of air with 
a narrow, straw-like extension to remove dust and lint trapped under the keys.
If you spill liquid on the keyboard, turn off your notebook and turn your 
notebook upside down. Let the liquid drain, then let the keyboard dry before 
trying to use it again. If the keyboard does not work after it dries, you may 
need to replace it.
Cleaning the notebook screen
Use a soft cloth and water to clean the notebook screen. Squirt a little water 
on the cloth (never directly on the screen), and wipe the screen with the cloth.
Cleaning the mouse
If you have a mouse and the mouse pointer begins moving erratically across 
the notebook screen or becomes difficult to control precisely, cleaning the 
mouse will likely improve its accuracy.
Clean your optical mouse by wiping the bottom of the mouse with a damp 
lint-free cloth.
WarningThe notebook screen is made of specially coated glass 
and can be scratched or damaged by abrasive or 
ammonia-based glass cleaners. 
						

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Cleaning your notebook
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To clean your trackball mouse:
1Turn the mouse upside down.
2Rotate the retaining ring on the bottom of the mouse counter-clockwise, 
then remove the retaining ring and mouse ball.
3Remove any dust, lint, or dirt from the mouse ball with a soft cloth.
4Clean the mouse rollers with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol.
5Replace the mouse ball and lock the retaining ring into place.
Mouse rollers 
						

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							14
245
Restoring
Software
Read this chapter to learn how to:
■Reinstall device drivers
■Update device drivers
■Reinstall programs
■Reinstall Windows
If you are not comfortable with the procedures covered in 
this chapter, seek help from a more experienced computer 
user or a computer service technician. 
						

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Chapter 14: Restoring Software
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Using the Restoration CDs
Use the Gateway Restoration CDs to reinstall device drivers, your operating 
system, and other programs that were preinstalled at the factory.
ImportantBefore you try to fix a problem by reinstalling software from 
your Gateway Restoration CDs, make sure that you have 
tried these steps first:
■Use the diagnostics and troubleshooting tools found in 
Help and Support. For more information about 
diagnostics and troubleshooting tools in Windows XP, 
click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword troubleshooting in the Search box 
, then click the arrow.
■Run System Restore. For more information about 
System Restore in Windows XP, click Start, then click 
Help and Support.
Type the keyword System Restore in the Search box 
, then click the arrow.
■See the Troubleshooting chapter of this guide.
If these steps do not resolve the problem, use the Gateway 
Restoration CDs to reinstall device drivers or programs.
If reinstalling device drivers or programs does not resolve 
the problem, reinstall Windows. 
						

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Reinstalling device drivers
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Reinstalling device drivers
Device drivers are programs that control devices such as the computer display, 
CD or DVD drives, and modems. Drivers translate information between 
computer devices and programs.
Drivers for your original notebook hardware are installed at Gateway. If you 
install a new device, you need to install the drivers provided by the device 
manufacturer.
You should reinstall device drivers:
■If directed to do so while troubleshooting
■If you see a message indicating that there is a problem with a device driver
If you need to reinstall device drivers because you are directed to do so while 
troubleshooting or if a message tells you that there is a problem with a device 
driver, reinstall the device drivers by following the instructions below.
If you just reinstalled Windows XP or Windows 2000, the device drivers were 
automatically reinstalled.
To reinstall device drivers:
1Insert the red Drivers and Applications CD into the CD or DVD drive. If the 
program starts automatically, go to Step 5.
- OR -
If the program does not start automatically, go to Step 2.
2Click Start, then click Run. The Run dialog box opens.
3In the Open text box, type d:\runmenu.exe (where d is the drive letter of 
your CD or DVD drive).
4Click OK.
ImportantIf the drive you want to use is not in the modular bay, you 
need to swap modules. For more information about 
swapping modules, see “Changing modules” on page 105. 
						

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5If this is the first time you have inserted the red Drivers and Applications 
CD, accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) by clicking 
Yes, I accept 
it
, then clicking Continue. The Gateway Driver and Application Recovery 
program starts and the 
Drivers and Application Recovery tab appears.
6Select a single device driver to reinstall.
- OR -
Click 
Automatic Installation, then select multiple device drivers to reinstall. 
(Grayed out drivers are not available for Automatic Installation. To select 
these drivers, click 
Manual Installation.)
7Click Install.
8Follow any additional on-screen instructions. Depending on the device 
driver you are reinstalling, you may only need to restart your notebook 
to complete the installation. However, if a setup wizard opens when you 
restart your notebook, follow the on-screen instructions.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about reinstalling device drivers in 
Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword drivers in the Search box 
, then click the arrow. 
						

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Updating device drivers
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Updating device drivers
The Restoration CDs contain a device driver update utility that works over the 
Internet. If you do not have an Internet service provider, the update utility 
works by direct-dialing the device driver update service.
To update device drivers:
1Insert the red Drivers and Applications CD into the CD or DVD drive. If the 
program starts automatically, go to Step 5.
- OR -
If the program does not start automatically, go to Step 2.
2Click Start, then click Run. The Run dialog box opens.
3In the Open text box, type d:\runmenu.exe (where d is the drive letter of 
the CD or DVD drive).
4Click OK.
5If this is the first time you have inserted the red Drivers and Applications 
CD, accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) by clicking 
Yes, I accept 
it
, then clicking Continue. The Gateway Driver and Application Recovery 
program starts and the 
Drivers and Application Recovery tab appears.
ImportantIf your notebook came equipped with a wireless device, 
only use the drivers approved for the country the device 
will be used in. See the red Drivers and ApplicationsCD 
or the Gateway Technical Support Web site 
(support.gateway.com
).
If your notebook came equipped with an internal 
embedded wireless device, see “Safety, Regulatory, and 
Legal Information” on page 307 for general wireless 
regulatory and safety guidelines.To find out if your 
notebook has an internal wireless device, check the label 
(see “Identifying your model” on page 12).
ImportantIf the drive you want to use is not in the modular bay, you 
need to swap modules. For more information about 
swapping modules, see “Changing modules” on page 105. 
						

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6Click the Web Updates tab.
7Click Check Now. The Connect window opens.
8Install available updated device drivers by following the on-screen 
instructions. Depending on the device driver you are updating, you may 
only need to restart your notebook to complete the installation. However, 
if a setup wizard opens when you restart your notebook, follow the 
on-screen instructions.
Reinstalling programs
If you have problems running a program or if you have reinstalled your 
operating system, you can reinstall programs from the red Drivers and 
Applications CD and other program CDs. If you are reinstalling programs from 
other program CDs, follow the installation instructions on each CD. If you want 
to reinstall a program, uninstall the old version first.
To reinstall programs from the Drivers and Applications CD:
1If you just reinstalled Windows, go to Step 4. Otherwise, go to the next 
step.
2In Windows XP, click Start, Control Panel, then click 
Add or Remove Programs.
- OR -
In Windows 2000, click 
Start, Settings, Control Panel, then double-click the 
Add or Remove Programs icon.
3In the Currently Installed Programs list, click the program you want to 
uninstall, then click 
Change/Remove and follow the on-screen instructions.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about updating device drivers in 
Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword updating drivers in the Search box 
, then click the arrow.